The Power of a Mother's Prayer

In a fast-paced and sometimes chaotic world, a mother's prayer is like a never-ending wellspring of hope and power.

These prayers, whispered in the quiet of the night or amidst life's storms, proclaiming truth and deliverance a little louder, are more than just words – they are a source of profound strength and impact. It's not because we tap into ourselves, but rather the incredible, never-ending source of our Creator.

Join me as we explore the significance of a mother's prayer and its transformative influence on the lives of our children, our families, and the generations to come.

Why is a Mother's Prayer Powerful?

James 5:16 tells us that tremendous power is released through the passionate, heartfelt prayer of a godly believer.

What an incredible promise we can stand on, knowing that an immense outpouring of strength is set in motion. Understanding this timeless truth adjusts our posture.

It’s not a last-resort kind of thing, where when all has been done, the only thing I can do is pray; no, it’s the first and most powerful one!

Is this truth evident in your life?

Sit with Holy Spirit and ask Him to reveal your heart and posture in prayer.

Where does He want to adjust your thinking, what lies have you picked up along the way?

Renewing our mind in prayer?

We've talked about renewing our minds already, but I believe we cannot be reminded enough of it, even in prayer.

As Romans 12:2 (ESV) puts it so beautifully: "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

As you have detected the lies Holy Spirit has revealed in the previous question, you bring them to Him and receive His truth.

Many times, there is a layer of dust that settles. Maybe you have prayed in faith, but you haven't seen the desired outcome. Growing up, this may have been your story over and over again. Maybe it's also how your parents talked or modeled prayer. Another layer was added, and it appeared more often void of power.

Do you believe that tremendous power is released through the passionate, heartfelt prayer of a godly believer? What would that look like?

Let's ask Him for an image.

I see a powerful rush of water cascading down the hill, overflowing as the dam has been opened.

I think it's time to clean off the dust. By brushing off the layers, we are renewing our mind, and other translations say transforming or changing.

Holy Spirit will unveil the debris that has obscured our minds, creating a layer through which we perceive life and prayer. Fix your gaze on Him.

A wonderful way to uncover this is during your Bible reading. Do you truly believe the verses you read, especially the ones concerning prayer? Or are you skimming past them, lacking hope in their message? We can approach the Bible as a mere book, untouched by the profound words within, neglecting Holy Spirit's revelation. But wouldn't that be a missed opportunity?

If you feel an inner unease or discomfort during your reading, simply pause. Let Holy Spirit reveal any falsehoods you may be embracing and replace them with His life-changing truth. This is one way to renew our minds.

What is the posture of a praying mother?

I want to look at a couple of postures. If we go back to James 5:16, the previous verse says:

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. (NIV)
Same in Mark 11 where it states that if we command this mountain to cast itself into the seas and do not doubt but believe, it will happen. In Verse 25, it further emphasizes: And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.

Forgiveness is an important posture of prayer. More specifically, I will speak about forgiveness in our families as a praying mother. Forgiveness and restoration are core values for our family. They are our family goals and have been a significant part of our parenting. Forgiveness purifies us from all unrighteousness, changes the atmosphere in our homes, and opens up the way for restoration.

Being the ones as parents to quickly ask for forgiveness when we've stepped over the line, raised our voices, been impatient, unkind, or unloving, and the list can go on, is very humbling if we start off. Also, it has a lot to do with how our parents may have modeled this virtue to us. I really want to encourage you to start now. Forgiveness is powerful. If your children see you asking them to forgive you, you teach them:

You're setting an example through your actions because they've likely heard about it from you in words. However, when your actions reflect it, the impact is significantly greater. Secondly, it demonstrates that you're never too old to seek forgiveness. There's no outgrowing this need, and it's not about achieving perfection. This realization can relieve the burden on a child struggling with perfectionism.

Mom and Dad, make mistakes too. Our children often recognize our mistakes better than anyone else, but what sets us apart is not just admitting when we are wrong, but the powerful act of asking for forgiveness

Another important posture is to not worry, in Philippians 4:6-7 it is explicitly stated that we should not worry about anything.

Honestly, I sometimes believe that worry has become too acceptable among Christians. However, worry demonstrates a lack of trust in God. We rarely redirect someone who is worrying about their children because we perceive it as caring.

Let’s better encourage one another and speak life in those situations. God is the perfect Father who has hope and a future for our children. He is our provider and we can trust Him fully.

Maybe you feel convicted, we all do. Don't just continue reading, but ask Holy Spirit to pull out worry by its roots. Perhaps you even have to go deeper and see where it was planted. It's absolutely worth the time. Remember, we are going step by step, leaning into conviction, and receiving the fullness He has already prepared for us.

A third posture I'd like to explore is thanksgiving or gratitude. Many times in the Bible, it says to present your requests before God with overflowing gratitude (Philippians 4:6-7, Colossians 4:2, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Mark 11:24-25).

David mentions in the Psalms that we enter His courts with thanksgiving, prayer, and thanksgiving go hand in hand.

As we pray, we position ourselves to express gratitude for all He has already done and will do. When we are convinced that we have already received our requests, our natural response can only be one of gratitude and praise.

The final posture is faith. This posture is perhaps the most obvious one for most of us. We've all heard it, and painfully, the measure of our faith is usually revealed when we lack something or when circumstances have changed, such as sickness reaching our homes, losing our jobs, or our children having a hard time at school.

Don't let your heart be troubled if your actual faith doesn't match the perceived one. I've experienced that feeling when you realize you might not truly, deeply believe something you thought you did. The key is not to let shame overwhelm you. Instead, be open and honest about it. Ask Him to reveal the falsehood you've been holding onto. Don't let shame get a hold of you. Don't hide or try to conceal it, but ask Him to reveal what lie you are believing.

These times are invitations to grow deeper into Him. Do not let yourself be discouraged by the lack, but draw near. Too often, we let distance come between us and God during these times, but He is inviting you to taste and see that the Lord is good.

Maybe He will reveal lies, such as you not believing that He is truly a good father, or that He hears you, or really cares. Perhaps you think He doesn't want to heal you. These lies don't allow you to approach faith like a child.

Ask Holy Spirit for revelation and get that cloth out again for Him to dust you off.

This list is by no means complete but just a selection of a couple I had on my heart.

What Is the Powerful Mother Prayer?

I know we humans like to have step-by-step instructions, but a mother's prayer is as personal and unique as we are. These prayers are as diverse as the mothers who utter them. They are in communion with Holy Spirit, revealing to us how to pray and reminding us of the destiny of our children. We can gain spiritual insight into what is going on. We can pray and declare prophetically what we see over them.

I encourage you to ask because you will receive. Don't try to pray on your own because Holy Spirit is here to guide you into all truth. He will declare to you the things that are to come, and He will give you power. Listen to His prompting. Take a couple of minutes now to ask for each child and your spouse:

How should you pray?

What does He want you to declare over them?

It could be a word, a Bible verse, or an image. Write it in your journal.

As we conclude this journey into the world of the power of a praying mother, I am certain that I might do a series about it. But I want to leave you with this question: How have you prayed for your family? What is Holy Spirit saying?

We all know the power of a praying grandmother or mother. Testimonies are filled and often start with, "My mother or granny prayed for years for me." Let's ensure we don't lose this powerful tool, and not allow it to slip away due to time constraints. Let's make time and encourage one another to do so! Our children will be the ones saying, "My mother has prayed for me for years, and God has made a way!" Generations will speak about you and the power of a praying Mother or Grandmother.