For several years my husband and I have spent about one day a week helping our daughter, mother of four, who lives about 45 minutes from us. Early on, I asked if we could have the privilege of putting our grandchildren to bed at night and praying with them. Our daughter and son-in-law agreed, welcoming a respite.

When our granddaughters were small, I prayed a prayer of protection and peace over them and asked the Lord to give them a desire to walk with Him always. The girls prayed their own simple prayers.

As they grew older, I started asking them what I could pray about for them and with them. Then we would take turns, praying for each other because they’d begun praying for their grandfather and me. I also began stretching their vision by praying for their friends who didn’t yet know Christ. Grandpa prayed with our precocious grandson in his room—coupled with deep theological discussions.

When Sarah, the youngest, was about two, she clamored to come downstairs and pray with her sisters and me in the girls’ bedroom. Naomi (then eight) snuggled into her bottom bunk, and Hannah (13) and I sat next to her. As I pulled our toddler granddaughter onto my lap, Hannah said, “Sarah, welcome to your first prayer time with Grandma.”

How that touched my heart! I realized how important those prayer times had become to our grandchildren as well as to me. Even when I was recovering from knee surgery and couldn’t take the stairs, the girls huddled with me upstairs to pray before they headed to bed.

Now prayer sharing is taking on electronic dimensions. Since our two older grandchildren now have iPods, I’ve told them they can text me anytime with a prayer request.

Grandparents who live far from their grandchildren might take advantage of bedtime prayer times during family get-togethers. But they may also enjoy scheduling regular prayer times with Grandma and Grandpa via phone—or, better yet, Skype (on computer or smart phones) so you can see each other as you share requests. Who knows what the Lord can do through our keeping in touch with what’s on our grandchildren’s hearts?

JOYCE K. ELLIS is a freelance writer and editorial assistant for Prayer Connect.

(C) 2013 Prayer Connect magazine.