40 Days of Faith: Day 10

Hebrews 11:12 – Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.

After the Korean War, many churches were destroyed, and the nation was in shambles. Yet elderly women—often widowed or raising grandchildren—began gathering at dawn to pray, weep, and cry out for revival. These halmonis (grandmothers) had very little materially. But they had great faith, and they believed God would restore their nation and raise up a new generation of believers.

Their early morning intercession sparked what became the South Korean revival, turning the country from war-torn desperation into one of the most mission-sending nations in the world today. South Korea now sends the second-largest number of missionaries worldwide (behind the U.S.). Further, mega-churches like Yoido Full Gospel Church (founded by David Yonggi Cho) were birthed out of this revival—fueled by faithful praying grandmothers.[1]

 As time marches on, it may seem that you aren’t seeing the breakthroughs you hope for. You may not feel like you are making a significant impact and that time is quickly slipping away. I am sure that Abraham and Sarah may have felt that way, yet they continued to walk with God and He blessed them. That blessing is still rippling throughout history.

 Did you know that your time on this earth can influence generations? Consider Psalm 103 for a moment. Psalm 103:15-18 states:
 As for man, his days are like grass;
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
and its place knows it no more.
17 But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,
and his righteousness to children's children,
18 to those who keep his covenant
and remember to do his commandments.

 Verses 15 and 16 here tell us that time flies. We are here today and gone tomorrow. This seems to be a harsh reality of life. But verse 17 speaks of God’s faithfulness toward what stirs our hearts the most—our children and grandchildren. This faithfulness is extended to them, as verse 18 tells us, as we walk by faith. That faithfulness to us is righteousness to our children’s children.

 Like these Korean grandmothers, God's faithfulness often flows through the humble and hidden. Our grandparents and elders play an irreplaceable role in generational impact by prayer, discipleship, and quiet obedience. Our Lord sees this, and his blessing for our faith is a faith that outlives us and blesses future generations.

 I remember the day I realized that my children were blessed because of my parents and my wife’s parents’ faith. For that I will be eternally grateful. I am also challenged to extend that for my children’s children, just as they have done toward me.

 Abraham and Sarah’s faith bore fruit long after their lifetimes, just as the prayers of Korean grandmothers still shape the global church today. That’s the beauty of faith—it plants seeds that grow into harvests we may never fully see on this side of eternity. Your faith, your prayers, and your obedience are not just for you; they are a blessing meant to flow into the lives of your children, grandchildren, and even generations you will never meet. Today, pause and consider: What kind of legacy of faith am I leaving behind? Choose to invest in the lives of those who come after you, trusting that God’s steadfast love will continue to ripple through your family and community long after you are gone.

Prayer:
Father, thank You that Your steadfast love is from everlasting to everlasting, reaching even to my children’s children. Help me to live with generational faith, trusting that my obedience and prayers will bless those who come after me. Strengthen me to plant seeds of righteousness today that will bear fruit for years to come. May my life, like Abraham’s and like the halmonis of Korea, speak hope, faith, and blessing long after I am gone. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
 
   [1] Christian History Institute, “Prayer Like the Falling of Many Waters,” Christian History, accessed August 2025, https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/ch153-korea. The article recounts how, in the aftermath of the Korean War, elderly women—often widowed or raising grandchildren—gathered at dawn to weep and pray faithfully for revival, today known as part of the rise of South Korea into a mission-sending nation.