A Grandmother’s Legacy of Prayer
- Debra Flaming
- Aug 21
- 3 min read
Every morning, before the sun peeks over the horizon, my 84-year-old mother does something extraordinary. She opens a worn book that holds tracings and photos of every hand in our family—children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren. One by one, she lays her own hands over each outline and prays.
She prays for safety, protection, and God’s will to be accomplished in our lives. She prays for grace to cover our weaknesses, and for His Spirit to guide us along the narrow path of truth. Her quiet ritual may seem hidden to the world, but I believe Heaven resounds with the power of those prayers. Perhaps we will never know the full weight of a mother’s and grandmother’s intercession until eternity, when the impact of her prayers is finally revealed.
Why Prayer Matters
So often people wrestle with the question: “Why would God let bad things happen?” The truth is that God does not override human free will, even when that will chooses evil. But He gives us the gift and responsibility of prayer. Prayer becomes the covering we can place over those we love in a world filled with temptation and danger.
As parents and grandparents, intercession is one of the greatest ways we can shield the innocent, encourage the wavering, and call God’s protection into our family’s story.
A Legacy of Prayer Builds Faith
My mother’s Bible is her constant reminder that God is present, personal, and deeply concerned with every detail of our lives—the good, the bad, and even the just plain ugly. For her, Scripture isn’t a relic of the past but a living testimony, a love letter that still speaks today.
Following her example, I too rise each morning with prayer as my first act. I keep a journal where I pour out anxious thoughts, concerns, and burdens—laying them at the feet of Jesus. Page after page tells the story of miracles answered, fears lifted, and gratitude recorded. When I read back through my journals, I see how faithfully God has met me in both the small and monumental details of life.
Something for You
If you’ve been hurt or disappointed—if you feel broken by the weight of life—I want to challenge you today: don’t carry it alone. My mother covers our family in prayer every single morning because she knows what’s at stake. The world is loud with distractions and dangers, but prayer invites God’s protection and love right into the heart of our battles.
So I ask you: will you take the step? Open His Word. Write down your burdens. Speak His name. Trust Him with the things you cannot fix on your own. God’s love is not distant—it is near, powerful, and able to heal the deepest places in your heart. Begin today.
Love That Never Fails
The Bible defines this love clearly in 1 Corinthians 13, often called the love chapter. May these words remind you of God’s heart for you today:
1 Corinthians 13:4–8, 13 Love is patient, love is kind.It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.…And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Forever Grateful for a Praying Mother,
Debra Flaming
