Prayer is a mother's greatest ally. When we know we can't be there, we know that God will be. Letting him know our concerns for our children and trusting him to help us look after them brings comfort and peace to a mother's heart.
When your child is at risk
I'm remembering an experience my grandmother shared with me. Her daughter, Ruth, was invited to a party in a canyon area, and she was worried about her. It seemed like a harmless gathering, but for some reason she was concerned that Ruth's friends were going to try to trick her into drinking. She didn't have a chance to warn her about this premonition, and it was a time before cell phones so she couldn't call her. She knew what to do. This woman of faith went to her knees and asked God to protect her daughter, telling him exactly what she feared would happen at the party.
When her daughter came home that night she seemed just fine, so nothing was said to her about the fears she'd had. The next day Ruth found out that they did have a plan to trick her. One of her friends brought a bottle of liquor and was about to secretly empty it into the punch bowl at the party, when she decided to taste it. The day after the party Ruth overheard her say to another friend, "We got ripped off! That bottle was nothing but water."
We've all heard the story of how Jesus turned the water into wine at the wedding feast, but now she knew he could also turn the tables and do the opposite. Ruth told her mother what she had overheard. Her mother, then, told her about her premonition and her prayer, explaining to her that her prayer had been answered. There is nothing quite so powerful as the prayer of a mother.
When your child is sick
It's a helpless feeling to have a child suffering with an illness. We have a dear friend whose daughter, a young mother, is going through chemotherapy for a stage four cancer. Prayer is her greatest comfort. She said, "I know that if it is God's will for her to be healed, she will be. If not, we have to trust that he knows what's best for her." Praying has brought this good mother a great deal of comfort, and it has done the same for her daughter. As she has been by her daughter's side, she has heard her express sincere words of gratitude for those "mother prayers".
Many times we have prayed for our sick children and have felt God's peace and assurance that he would be with them. When doctors do all they can and it isn't enough, we know we can turn to a loving Father in heaven and plead for his loving arms to comfort and relieve our child. We have seen him do it with our own children. They may not be healed at that moment, but peace fills the room and we know he's with us and watching over our child. We'll never forget the time we prayed for our little boy who was crying in the night from a severe earache. Our prayer, this time, was answered immediately. He fell peacefully asleep and woke up well the next morning.
When you have concern about your child's future
As our children grow, most mothers pray for them to make wise choices. We want them to be safe at school, in their work and in their future family. We, personally, can't count the many times we have prayed for blessings to be poured out upon our grown-up children. It brings us peace when we pray that God will guide them along their path, even though we know they will go through their own tough times.
We were touched by the song "A Mother's Prayer." There are a few versions with this same title - all beautiful - but this one seemed to melt our hearts, probably because we could relate so well to the message. We all have concern about who our children will marry and understand how important that decision is. With that I mind, take a few minutes and watch this tender video (posted above).
Let your prayers be a comfort to you
Start each day with a prayer that your children will be protected and helped as they run off to their various activities. Then trust the Lord and enjoy the comfort and peace this will bring to you. He will watch over your family. Just ask him.
