Becoming a Better Mother: Harnessing the Power of Prayer
James 5:16b-18 says,
“The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.
Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit.”
Prayer changes things.
It does!
In the act of prayer we connect with our Creator, pour out our concerns and desires to Him, and let them rest in His capable hands.
It astounds me that God listens to us. That He wants us to talk to Him and is willing to act on our behalf.
Why?
Because He loves us.
At the fervent request of mothers, God works on the hearts of children.
He works on our hearts too.
Praying for our kids helps us stay focused on them, helps us keep eternity in sight, and gives us the strength to say YES to what truly matters.
Satan is waging a war for our children. He wants them.
We struggle and strive to fight against Him, but we can only do so much. We need God.
As Brooke McGlothlin says in her book, “the battle is best fought on our knees.” I couldn't agree more!
We need to pray for our children everday. It is one of the most powerful things we can do for them.
Pray the scriptures for them.
Pray that they may be truth seekers.
Pray for their future spouse.
Pray that they may learn to obey their parents.
Pray that they will be good and kind.
Pray that they may be strong and courageous.
Pray…
There is no end to what we can pray for our children.
Here are two great resources that have helped me pray for my children:
Daily Prayer Calendar from Inspired to Action (it's free and printable)
This is a great tool to use. I like to keep mine in my Bible so I can look at it when I do my Bible reading. It is also great the tape it onto the bathroom mirror or refrigerator. Do whatever helps keep it in the front on your mind!
Warrior Prayers: Praying the Word for Boys in the Areas they Need It Most by Brooke McGlothlin. This e-book is $5.95 and totally worth it! (I'm not an affiliate either – I just think it is AWESOME!)
God provided for an awesome tool for us. Let’s harness it.
I love the prayer calendar from Inspired to Action!
I pray for specific areas where my children struggle, character-wise. Over time, I notice how God changes my children in those areas. If certain of my children get on each other’s nerves, I pray that one child will have a greater love for the other child. As far as the salvation of my children is concerned, the first step is for them to understand their depravity, or that they need God because they have a propensity to sin. So I pray this way for any of my children that don’t show remorse over sin, even if they are really young.
I love these ideas Susan.
Participating in the 21 Days of Prayer is revolutionizing my mothering. Thank you for reinforcing what I’m learning this week about praying and praying specifically for the hearts of our children.
Thank you for that resource for praying for our BOYS! I feel a little adrift in this area at times (okay, at a lot of times) and I need pointers!
Thank you for this timely reminder! Prayer is so powerful. Why do I so often forget that?
~Catherine 🙂