Praying Mothers




Praying mothers can impact history through their children. Mothers who pray for their children can sometimes change the course of history. It has been said, “The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world”. Praying mothers are trained warriors in God’s army. They can bring their children to Heaven’s doors with their prayers. They rise up with the Sword of the Spirit in prayer using it to wield disabling blows to the enemy. Praying mothers never give up on praying for their children. Lu 11:9,10; 18:1-8. The praying mother Monica, also known as Monica of Hippo, was born in 331AD. She was mother to three children and lived with a man who was not nice. She taught her children about Jesus Christ. Her prayers had a strong influence upon her son Augustine. Augustine was a strong willed boy who found his way into many difficult situations. When he would not listen to his mother she prayed and wept before God for him. In Augustine’s autobiography he wrote about his mother, “ She is a mother who wept to God for me, shedding more tears for my spiritual death than other mothers shed for the bodily death of a son.” Once Monica brought her concerns to a Christian bishop, Ambrose, who assured her, “It cannot be that the son of these tears should be lost.” Augustine became one of the most important Christian fathers in Western Christianity. Charles Spurgeon wrote about his praying mother, “I cannot tell you how much I owe to the prayers of my good mother. Spurgeon went from a young boy to a “Prince of Preachers”. Spurgeon quoted he and his mother’s coversation,“Ah, Charles! I often prayed the Lord to make you a Christian, but I never asked that you might become a Baptist. ”He responded with, “Ah, mother! The Lord has answered your prayer with His usual bounty, and given you exceeding abundantly above what you asked or thought.” Susannah Wesley was a praying mother. She raised 10 children, yet she found time to pray for 2 hours every day. Her husband was often absent and sometimes difficult to live with, and sometimes they didn’t live together. She filled their home with the Word of God and prayer. Susannah was famous for her prayer apron. She had so many children she couldn’t get away to pray so she would pull up her apron over her head and pray. She instructed her children when they saw her with her apron over her head they were not to distrub her. Her son John Wesley preached to nearly a million people in his time. Another son Charles Wesley wrote over 9000 hymns. Her prayers touched the whole world. Hannah, the mother of the great Prophet Samuel was a praying mother. She had no children and desperately wanted to have a child. She prayed earnestly that God would give her a son, and promised that she would give that son back to God for His purposes God answered Hannah’s prayer and she conceived Samuel. She fulfilled her vow to the Lord and Samuel was taken to the temple, and entrusted to the priest Eli for care and training. Hannah did not forget Samuel, but prayed for him and made him a new coat every year. I Sa 2:9. Because of her obedience, and sacrifice in releasing Samuel, he became the most famous prophet in Israel’s history. I Sa 1:10,11. Sometimes as kids grow up they get into situations that require more intense prayers. We have a song we love to sing. It is called “God’s got an army”. The course goes like this: “God’s got an army marching through the land Deliverance is their song, there’s healing in their hand There’s everlasting joy and gladness in their heart And in this army I’ve got a part. Praying mothers are trained warriors in God’s army. A Mama bear cannot hold a candle to a praying mother whose child has been attacked by Satan. She will whip out her Bible, which is the Sword of the Spirit, and wield the Word of God to defeat the enemy. Praying mothers are known to have knee calouses and bent backs as they labor in prayer for their children. Praying mothers have no fear in the battle. They run to the battle and continue to fight until victory comes in their child’s life. They are fearless and fierce warriors! When our son Nathan was out somewhere in the world other than God’s realm he was attacked by the enemy. I remember the day he called to tell me he had been diganosed with ALS. I was the Mama bear who was going to take on the enemy who had dared to touch my son. Ralph and I went to be with him and when we walked in the first thing Nathan said to me was, “Mom, I know God has allowed this to bring me back to Him. I wanted to get back, but I couldn’t make it”. That began a battle like none other I had fought. I went to the Word of God and dug up Scriptures to pray for his healing and restoration. As we walked through the next two years my mother prayers for him were two fold. The main goal being for his restoration with God and concern for his physical healing. My mother’s prayers for his restoration were answered, and I was able to walk to Heaven’s doors with him. But his physical healing happened when God opened the door to Heaven and Nathan entered in. George Washington, also known as the Father of our Country, changed the course of American history for God’s Glory. George’s dad died when he was 10 years old. His mother, Mary Washington, raised her children as a single mother. Her favorite place to pray was a nearby rock outside of her house. After George went to war he wrote letters to his mother testifying of miracles that spared his life. He escaped death when bullets went through his coat and horses were shot out from under him. He honored his mother’s prayers when he said, “All that I am I owe to my mother.” He knew his mother was praying for him and he influenced our nation. Abraham Lincoln once said: “I remember my mother’s prayers, and they have followed me; they have clung to me all my life. All that I am and hope to be I owe to my angel mother.” Billy Graham, sometimes considered to be the modern day Moses, led nearly 3 million people to Jesus Christ. He preached to more than 80 million people during his lifetime. He made the statement, “Out of all the people I have ever known, my mother had the greatest influence on my life. She prayed for Billy every morning at 10 AM. No matter how bleak things may seem concerning your children never doubt what God can do in the situation. Our enemy, the devil, is like a roaring lion seeking to devour every soul, especially children before they can bloom. Praying moms must never stop praying! 1 Pe 5:8-9. Remember a solider does not quit the army when the battle is fierce and Mothers are warriors in God’s army!