The Prayers of a Mother

Happy Mother's Day. I am personally blessed to have a wonderful mother, who is quiet, gentle, and kind. I am also blessed to be a mother of three perfect children- perfect in the eyes of God and created exactly according to His plan. I know that every mother fails her children at times, is not what she ideally wants to be...or maybe I am alone in that. However, in a wonderful discussion yesterday with Matt's in-laws, a Godly family whose conversation I always value, we talked about the prayers of mothers. As we discussed the limitations of what influence Mothers can and even should exert on adult children, I said, "All I can do is pray."
And I realized even as I said it, that the phrasing made it sound like prayer was an insignificant thing.

But I believe prayer is powerful. I know my recently deceased mother-in-law prayed for my family every day, fervently. When good things happened, she would clasp her hands together and say, "Oh that is what I prayed for and God has answered my prayer!"

The Bible urges us to pray without ceasing, on all occasions, and for every need. The conundrum is that God already knows our prayers, even before we utter them, but I think it is one of His blessings to give us the power in hopeless circumstances to do something. As a mother, stepping back and watching those beloved children "wander in the desert", it is sometimes unbearably painful...a perfect opportunity to pray. And when those children excel and take our breath away graduating from law school magna cum laude with multiple accolades heaped upon them, we are overcome with gratitude...a perfect opportunity to pray.

To all you mothers, suffering and triumphing, in all things, pray. In the most glowing tribute to strong women, Proverbs 31, the opening verses reminds us of the power of prayer:

[2] Listen, my son! Listen, son of my womb! Listen, my son, the answer to my prayers! (Prov.31:20)

My children are all answers to prayer. Why would God stop answering now that they are grown and scattering in the wind like thistles? In sadness and in joy, in catastrophe and victory, pray.

Happy Mother's Day!

James 5:13-18
[13] Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. [14] Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. [15] And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.
[16] Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. [17] Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. [18] Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.


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