Generations Of Answered Prayers

Generations Of Answered Prayers

He will listen to the prayers of the destitute. He will not reject their pleas. Let this be recorded for future generations, so that a people not yet born will praise the LORD. Psalm 102:17-18

On February 14, 1908, my grandfather was the seventh child born into a south Alabama dirt farmer’s family. He was the first boy, with six older sisters. In other words, he grew up with seven “mothers” fussing over him. With that many women in his life, he couldn’t help but grow into a gregarious, fun-loving young lad.

The incessant demands of the farm required another worker just as soon as my grandfather was able, so before he had even finished second grade, he was taken out of school and put to work in the fields. There was no time to waste learning skills that didn’t directly apply to crop production. During planting season, his bare feet barely hit the floor in the morning before he was called to start plowing the hard red clay to prepare the fields for seed.

Grandpa grew up, got married, and eventually took over the farm from his father. He and his wife had two boys, and he was grateful for both. With two boys, he could keep two mule teams busy.

But my grandfather wanted more for his sons than the life he’d had on the farm. During the long days working in the fields, he prayed that God would show him a way to break the cycle of poverty that had cursed the family for generations. Though he couldn’t read or write, and his wife had made it only through the eighth grade herself, they knew that the boys needed to get an education in order to have a better life. So, when the boys were still babies, my grandmother began reading to them from the Bible, the only book they owned.

The elder son, James (my father), finished high school and college and became a teacher. In the next generation, I, of course, went all the way to medical school. The reason I am a doctor and a man of faith today is because of my grandfather’s prayers, which began with my father and included me before I was even born.

TODAY’S RX

Is there anything more powerful than our prayers for our children and grandchildren? Write down your prayers so they will see the fruit of your faith.

God, I thank you for all the generations of family you’ve blessed me with. Help me to see your hand at work in their lives, and remind me to pray for them always.