About the Book

Book: Grandparenting with a Purpose

Author: Lillian Penner

Genre: Non-fiction / Christian family and relationships

Release Date: June 6, 2015

Front cover Grandparenting With a Purpose

Culture tends to shape our grandchildren by what it presents as normal, which is very different from the normal in which we grew up. But through prayer and godly counsel, grandparents who love the Lord can stand in the gap and help their grandchildren and their parents navigate their world and cultural influences.

Being a grandparent is a blessing—the grandchildren are so sweet, and we love the hugs and pictures. But these days, many grandparents have the added responsibility of raising their grandchildren, while others are restrained from seeing their grandkids. Grandparenting: Effective Ways to Pray for Your Grandchildren will share some insight into these difficult issues. And no matter your situation, God gives grandparents a sacred trust—an opportunity to imprint another generation with the message of His faithfulness.

From cell phones to photo prayer journals, you’ll find tools and Scriptures to pray intentionally for your grandchildren and their parents. Regardless of how far they live from you, your prayers can bridge the distance between you and leave your grandchildren with an inheritance more precious than gold.

I remember my grandmother and hoe faithful she was praying for my brothers and I. She was a school teacher and Sunday School teacher. When I would spend a couple weeks with her in the summer, she dressed me up in pretty dresses and off we went to church. I will always remember her taking me to Vacation Bible School and praying with me every night. The book as questions at the end of each chapter

Click here for your copy!

MY REVIEW

I am so excited to read this book knowing that in June my husband and I will be first time grandparents. We are over the moon and are thankful that He answered our prayers. Grandparents are very special and in this book the author has provided biblical principles to help us pray for our grandchildren. I love how the author says we are living in the now generation. It is time to make a difference and instill Godly values over our children and grandchildren.

I remember my grandmother taking me to church when I was little. I would spend a few weeks with her in the summer. She would dress me up in pretty dresses and off we would go to church. My grandmother was a school teacher, Sunday school teacher and worked in the office at church. During my time with her I really saw how dedicated she was to God. As I reflect back on my grandmother , I realize how much she impacted my life. I’m thankful for her prayers and her example of a Godly woman.

I like the idea of leaving a journal for our children and grandchildren. In it I want to include Bible scriptures, prayers , and have a section for each child. As they pass the journal on, their heritage will show Christian values , parents and grandparents that were warriors for them. Recently in the news, we are hearing more and more children are being raised by grandparents. It is a big responsibility and it gives them an opportunity to show the grandchildren that they are loved by them and God.

At the end of each chapter are questions to use as a personal study. There are also prayers and examples from the Bible that are good role models that exercised how grand-parenting is. I enjoyed reading the book and getting information that will help as we pray for our grandchildren.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

About the Author

Lillian Ann Penner is an author, speaker, and grandmother residing with her husband, John, in Portland, Oregon. They have been married for more than fifty years and have three married sons and nine grandchildren.

Penner is the national prayer coordinator for Christian Grandparenting Network (CGN), and she writes about her passion of intentional praying grandparents for CGN’s website. She is involved in leadership in the women’s Bible study, the fifty-five plus group in her church, and leads a Grandparents@Prayer group.

She has been active in church ministry for over fifty years, led an outreach ministry for young mothers, a mentoring ministry for women, and various other church ministries. She has participated in short term missions in Ukraine and volunteered with several Christian ministries.

She and her husband enjoy traveling, but most of all, enjoy spending time with their children and grandchildren.

More from Lillian

Finding Joy in Praying for my Grandchildren

What a joy it is to have that precious little grandchild come running into your arm with hugs and kisses. The six-year-old calling to tell you she lost her first tooth or your seven-year-old grandson excited about making his first goal in his soccer game.

In addition to senior discounts, grandchildren are one of the rewards of growing older. Mary H. Waldrip says it well, “Grandchildren are God’s way of compensating us for growing old.”

I now have nine grandchildren, ages ranging from sixteen years to thirty-eight years, four are married, and we have five great-granddaughters. As a long-distance grandmother for many years, I was not fully aware of my grandchildren’s immediate needs. I prayed that God would bless them, give them good health and protection. Ultimately, I became frustrated and felt something was lacking with my vague and general prayers. I asked God to show me how to become more deliberate in praying for them.

After reading books about grandparenting and prayer full of practical advice, I was encouraged to use specific Scriptures in praying for my grandchildren. The books motivated me to pray regularly for their emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being.

Best of all, praying God’s Word has enabled me to pray with His power, direction, and wisdom. As their grandparent, I can have a significant role in influencing their lives by praying for them during these turbulent years has given me fulfillment and satisfaction in praying for them.

The faith of our children is weakened in the classrooms; young adults raised in our hostile environment are walking away from God in record numbers. Hopelessness is prevalent, and our society is reeling from the opioid crisis, mass shootings, fatherlessness, divorce, and so much more.

Recognizing the urgent need for my grandchildren’s spiritual needs God gave me a passion of praying Scripture for my grandchildren. I felt God wanted me to share my passion with other grandparents so I wrote the book Grandparenting with a Purpose: Effective Ways to Pray for your Grandchildren about ten years ago. It has blessed and encouraged many grandparents. This past year I felt God wanted me to revise and expand the book, so I added the following chapters with a study guide for each chapter.

I have found there are many hurting estranged grandparents today with heavy hearts, so I am addressing that issue in a chapter. Is your grandparenting Painful or a blessing?
I include a section looking at a view of the culture our grandchildren and their parents are navigating today.
God’s Design for grandparenting plus several additional chapters and Scriptures to Pray for Teens and Scriptures for Grandparents to pray for themselves.

The book retails for $14.99. However, it is available for a discounted price of $15.00, including shipping and handling costs in the U. S. for a limited time. A bonus of a Scriptural Prayer resource will be included with your purchase. The book is available in EBook format for $3.99 for those who would prefer the EBook format or live outside the U. S. to save on shipping costs.

This book will challenge you and give you resources for the spiritual battle with the enemy. It will show you how to be an intentional disciple-maker and prayer warrior to impact the next generation.