What Happens When a Mother Prays
I don't know where this Mother's Day finds you in your motherhood journey, but I hope this will encourage you to keep "praying the prayers only you can pray." (as my friend Monica says)
My eyes brimmed with tears as we pulled out of the pre-school parking lot and I heard her sweet voice reciting the ABC’s. A simple prayer whispered in sorrow, answered abundantly.
Being a mother is one of the greatest and simultaneously, one of the hardest roles we walk in as women. And rarely does it look anything like we imagined.
I entered motherhood, a former teacher, full of grand ideas of what our pre-school years would entail. I love to teach, so what could be better than teaching my own children. When obedience took me outside the home, those plans withered. It sounds silly now, especially since I know how frustrating teaching your own children can be at times, ha! But in that moment, it felt like such a loss. In my grief, I remember whispering, “God, I can’t do it all - I can’t teach her everything and work.” I prioritized, reading, play and sowing Biblical truths and trusted the rest would come.
As I heard the letters tumble from her mouth, I knew it was such a simple request, but He had heard it. And that marked me, because if He had heard and answered such a basic prayer for her to learn her ABC’s before she was three - how much more would He answer.
I grew up sitting outside the door to my mother’s prayer group. I had seen and experienced what happens when a mother prays, but that day, the weight and power that my prayers held became tangibly real to me.
Fellow momma, whatever the role looks like for you today:
A mother in waiting
A mother of littles
A grieving mother
A spiritual mother
A grandmother
A mother of tweens or teens
A mother of adult children
Our prayers matter. Our prayers will outlast the years we walk this earth and echo into eternity. Every prayer whispered in grief, sorrow, joy, fear, love, desperation and hope is heard by our Heavenly Father.
The prayers of a momma are mighty.
When we pray, we invite God to move.
“When we get on our knees, God extends His powerful right hand on our behalf.” - Mark Batterson
Throughout scripture are countless pictures of men and women coming to God and inviting Him into their mess. Motherhood is messy. It’s impossible to get out of it without mud on our white jeans, but that was by design. We are broken and sinful trying to lead broken and sinful children, it’s a beautiful mess that points us to Jesus and pulls us to our knees.
When we pray, we invite God into the brokenness and mess to work in the hearts of our children like only He can. We can’t control their salvation, their obedience, every choice they make or their circumstances. But we can partner with God and ask Him to move.
When we pray, the plans of the enemy fail.
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.” Ephesians 6:12
We are in a spiritual battle daily and so are our children. Prayer is our greatest offensive weapon in pushing the enemy back in the lives of our children.
When we pray we can see where the enemy is attacking or may attack and partner with God to push him back. Prayer releases God to fight for our children.
"Prayer is how we see heaven invade earth. It's what opens up the floodgates for God to come down and be involved in our everyday circumstances." - Priscilla Shirer
The work of prayer is done in the unseen hours and moments of our days and the fruit doesn’t come overnight. Your prayers are mighty momma, keep pressing in.
Happy Mother’s Day,
Karen
