Tag: motherhood

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Mothers Who Have Lost Children

Dear Father,
As we honor mothers this week in prayer, I pray today for mothers who have lost a child. Some mothers have endured agonizingly long bouts of sickness in their children, only to see them lose their battle. Others have lost children through sudden and unexpected tragedy. However that loss occurs, it brings with it a unique and painful kind of grief. 

When that pain is raw and recent, reassure those mothers that you grieve with them and that they are never alone. Give them space to mourn, and when the well intentioned words and condolences of others miss the mark, help mothers to receive them with patience and grace. When years have passed and the pain still lingers, begin to shift the recollection of past memories from being a source of pain to becoming treasured keepsakes in the heart. Where possible and as you see fit, dull the sharp sting of death even the slightest bit with the blessing of additional children. Finally, allow the Resurrection to foster a deeper appreciation for the hope mothers have in knowing that death doesn’t have the final say. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Mothers of Teenagers and Adult Children

Dear Father,
As we honor mothers this week in prayer, I pray today for mothers of teenagers and adult children. As our children grow, they become more independent. At times, especially during the teenage years, that independence and general season of life can be turbulent. This often results in added friction in the relationship between teenagers and mothers. A similar tension is not uncommon when children become adults. As they develop additional relationships in these later years, including the establishment of their own families, their dependence on mothers decreases. 

Nevertheless, lead all children, regardless of age, to honor their mothers, in keeping with the Fourth Commandment. While the role of mothers transitions from one season of their child’s life to the next, keep their special connection strong. Help children to always treasure the love and care of their mother. Help mothers to respect the relationship boundaries their children establish with spouses, careful not to overstep them. Grant both mother and child grace and patience, and guide them to navigate their relationship by seeking to understand the other’s perspective. Bless the bond of mother and child, no matter the age. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Mothers Doubling as Care-Givers

Dear Father,
As we honor mothers this week in prayer, I pray today for mothers who also carry the added responsibility of being an adult care-giver. Whether that role is by choice or out of necessity, caring for other adults while also caring for children of any age as a mother can easily test a person’s limitations. The challenges may vary depending on the nature of who is needing the care – parents, other aging family members, or a husband – but the burden remains especially heavy no matter what.

Give mothers in these scenarios a competent and caring support system, so that others can intervene and provide them with assistance or even insist that they take time for needed self-care. Make children aware of the added responsibility their mother has, so that they might be more sensitive and appreciative, even lending assistance when possible. Sustain these moms with your strength and perseverance, and nurture their faith so they see you as their rock and refuge. Bless their children and all others on on the receiving end of their care. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Working Mothers

Dear Father,
As we honor mothers this week in prayer, I pray today for working mothers. Whether working full-time or part-time, in the office or from home, the juggling act of being a working mom takes its toll in many ways. It’s not as easy as flipping a switch to go from mom mode to work mode and vice versa. Not only do the responsibilities themselves overlap over and need to be carried out, but the mental and emotional burdens are heavy, too.

Grant working mothers coworkers and employers who are both understanding and accommodating. In cases where additional assistance is necessary for childcare, provide whatever is needed. When working moms wrestle with the guilt of not being available for their children around the clock, release them from that guilt and assure them that you are always present, caring and providing for every child’s need. Keep work requirements from robbing them of the joys of motherhood, and give them sufficient rest to be able to carry out both roles well and to your glory. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Mothers of Children with Special Needs

Dear Father,
As we honor mothers this week in prayer, I pray today for mothers of children with special needs. The general responsibilities of motherhood are daunting on their own, but even more is required of moms raising children with special needs. Whether the needs of their children are physical, mental, emotional, or some combination thereof, give these mothers an abundance of strength and perseverance. When they are exhausted or near the point of breaking, generously replenish them with whatever they need. When their faith is tested and their days are filled with defiance or discouragement, lovingly remind them that your grace sees and is delighted with their faithful efforts. 

Graciously allow them to experience the many unique blessings that children with special needs demonstrate. Let their children exude a joyful innocence and bright smiles whenever possible. Let them show obedience, gratitude, and generous affection to their mothers. When such blessings are not able to be present in the child, let others take note of the hard work and dedication of these mothers, and express their appreciation and admiration accordingly. Finally, while no earthly recognition these mothers receive may ever adequately suffice, reassure them that their rich rewards of grace await them in heaven.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For First-Time Mothers

Dear Father,
As we honor mothers this week in prayer, I pray today for first-time mothers. As they experience the mixed feelings of joy and fear over this new responsibility, free them from the worry and anxiety of feeling as if they have to have all of the answers. No mother has ever attained the status of perfection when it comes to motherhood, and no one ever will. There will be mistakes and things will go wrong, but remind them that you are able to provide and protect their child at all times.   

As they get more and more used to carrying out these new responsibilities of motherhood, alleviate their concerns and raise their confidence level. See to it that they have a network of support through family and friends who can help and assist when needed. Grant these new moms opportunities for rest and self-care. Let the husbands of first-time mothers be especially aware, both of the child and the mother’s needs, as they navigate this new chapter of their lives together. Lead them to be attentive to their child’s spiritual needs, prioritizing baptism, praying, and planning for continued spiritual growth.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For the Gift of Mothers

Heavenly Father,
Sundays are sacred. I have countless reasons for which to give you thanks, and on this Mother’s Day, I give you thanks for mothers and the irreplaceable role they play in families and homes. Of all the ways you could have chosen to bring up children, in your divine wisdom you established families, providing mothers to love and nurture their children. Thank you especially for mothers who prioritize bringing their children to Jesus. 

While no mother is perfect, they so often model selfless sacrifice in putting their children first. They reflect our Good Shepherd when they display gentle tenderness and patience. And, just as our Good Shepherd does, mothers lovingly discipline and correct their little ones, both to show them the right way and also to protect them from future harm. You have established motherhood as one of the most noble callings of all. Lead our society to uphold it as such, and see that mothers are respected and honored among us. Richly bless their labors of love, encouraging them with supportive husbands and rewarding them with obedient children who are a delight to raise.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Mothers in the Home

Loving Lord,
Thank you for the special blessings you bring into the family through mothers. By your own masterful design, you uniquely created mothers with a womb to wonderfully weave together the masterpiece of human life. From conception to birth, the marvelous biological interaction between mother and the child you are knitting together leaves us in awe. Truly we are fearfully and wonderfully made!

The blessings of motherhood continue long after children are born. Through mothers children learn to experience unconditional love. You use mothers to nurture children and to meet their daily needs, often while also managing household and family activities. Provide patience and strength to mothers when they are weary. Lead family members to demonstrate gratitude and express their thanks often so that mothers feel appreciated. Reward faithful, dedicated mothers with obedient and respectful children, and grant them husbands who support and encourage them in their essential role as much as possible. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

God Calls Me a Dedicated Mom

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(1 Samuel 1:21-28)

What is “my calling.” That might be a good Jeopardy response if a contestant chose “Vocation for $500.” Simply put, your vocation is your calling. Today we begin a series that will clarify what our calling is and guide us in carrying out. While some talk about discovering their calling or feeling a calling from God, it’s actually much simpler than that. Your calling is the role God has given you to carry out right now where you’re at in life, and to carry it out in a way that serves God and others to the best of your ability with the unique gifts and responsibilities that God has given you. Are you a student – that is your calling. Employee? So is that. Single? Coach? Church member? Community volunteer? Instrumentalist? Sibling? Yes – each of these, all of these, some of these – any combination of these and so many other stations in life are what make up our calling. This morning we focus especially on one vocation: motherhood. And one doesn’t have to have children for this vocation to be worth our consideration, because none of us would be here today if not for mothers. So we appreciate the calling of motherhood from God.  

Hannah isn’t a bad mother to look at. Sadly, part of the reason she appears especially godly is because the men in the account don’t! Her own husband, well-intentioned as he might have been, comes off looking rather insensitive in his poor attempt to console her at her inability to have children. He points out that she shouldn’t be taking it so hard, because he should mean more to her than not being able to be a mother. Husbands, that’s how not to do it! Then the priest Eli, when he witnesses Hannah pouring out her soul in prayer to the Lord for the gift of a child, wrongly presumes she’s been drinking. Eli, who fails miserably at managing his own sons, assumes the worst of godly Hannah praying for a son of her own! So in stark contrast to the less than stellar examples provided by others in the account, Hannah’s godliness stands out. Her relationship with the Lord was not an afterthought. It wasn’t a means to an end. It was a priority, and it showed itself especially in the realm of motherhood.

It’s rare to see anyone with that kind of a dedicated faith-focused relationship with God. Moreover, mothers especially have the unique challenge of Satan pitting the blessing of children against God. One of the most subtle idols in our culture today is the devil’s elevation of children. While not a shock in the world, do not be naive and suppose that only the world struggles with such an idol as a child. Do not presume it is such a large leap for a child to jump from being a gift from God to becoming a gift over God. Now none of us would be terribly quick to admit that we can allow our children to become idols in our lives, but then, are we terribly quick to admit any idols in our lives? Isn’t that often the criteria that applies to something being a dangerous idol – we aren’t even aware that it is crowding out or already has crowded God out of our hearts as our first love? Or, we’re very aware of it, and will guard it tenaciously!

Children become our idols when our worlds either intentionally or unintentionally revolve around our kids. It happens when we are concerned more about their friends, finances, and future, than we are their faith. It happens when we allow their sports and their social schedules to push aside our Savior and our own spiritual growth. It happens when we spend more time worrying about their temporal life than we do praying for their eternal life. 

That’s a real danger, mind you – the idolatry of allowing our children to hold the primary place of importance in our lives. It’s one that God helped Abraham be aware of. Remember how God finally granted Abraham his own son with Sarah? That promise was a long time coming! All of God’s future promises hinged on that one child, and God finally granted him Isaac. Then, in a demand that knots up our hearts, God commanded Abraham to slay his own son and kill him. Why such a gut-wrenching request? God knew how easily a parent’s love for a child can replace a parent’s love for the Lord. That experience not only made it clear to Abraham, but it also was an opportunity to put his faith into action and demonstrate that Isaac had not replaced God as number one in Abraham’s heart.

How did Hannah – whose desire for a child was no small thing! – guard against her child, young Samuel, replacing God in her heart? She gave him away. How does a mother do that? She realizes her child is not hers; her child is His. Like absolutely everything else in this world, children belong to God first and foremost, and like everything else with which God blesses us, they are gifts on loan to be managed well. Her dedication to the Lord first and foremost was evident by her willingness to dedicate her own son in service to the Lord. She was so filled with gratitude at the gift of a son God had given her that in thanksgiving, she gave him back. It is not an easy thing to send a son or daughter away to high school like CLHS or MLS or LPS or college like MLC for possible service to the Lord in ministry, but it is one way to reflect that children are God’s gift on loan to us, and to dedicate them to possible future ministry is no small sacrifice. Hannah would have agreed.

But it isn’t just idolatry that mothers have to worry about. There’s another struggle that goes on in a mother’s heart, one that may not be so obvious to others: guilt. There is constant comparison to every other mother with children, and a natural tendency to zero in on the one other mother in the store or at the park who seems to effortlessly execute her mothering skills and ought to be teaching a “Momming 101” class somewhere. Or, when a mom thinks she may just be getting the hang of the motherhood thing, her own mom or mother-in-law deflates her with an observation or offers a “helpful” suggestion on how to handle something differently. Or, if she feels like a rockstar mothering and managing the children, feelings of failure in the marriage or neglecting her husband or not getting a job or some other perceived deficiency settles in. Guilt for mothers, whether self-imposed or brought on by others, can be crippling. So it isn’t the weight of a stroller, a diaper bag, or her child’s backpack that is the heaviest burden a mom often bears, but rather guilt. Guilt can easily outweigh them all.

Want a real solution to the danger of idolatry and the dread of guilt? Let’s talk about identity on Mother’s Day. If you are a mom, it’s easy to see that as your identity. It’s who you are. It’s where your focus is. It’s what you do around the clock. You care for your kids. You meet their needs. You schedule their appointments. You drive them around. You bandaid their scrapes. You grab their snacks. You wash their clothes and fold their laundry. You pack their suitcase. You make their bed. You do it all – you’re their mom!

But all moms are something else before they are mothers: they are daughters. And I am not talking about daughters to your own father and mother; I mean you aredaughters of the Lord. You are children of the heavenly Father. You are his. Before even the first thought of a name for your child crossed your mind, the Lord knew your name from eternity as his. Before God ever blessed you with the joy of holding a nursing infant in your arms, he held you in his heart. He chose you to be his long before ever blessing you with the status of motherhood. In Isaiah 43 he says as much: “But now, this is what the LORD says – ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine’” (v.1). 

And he went to the greatest of lengths to solidify your relationship with him! He himself was born of a woman so that he might redeem women, mothers included. He perfectly honored and respected his own mother in a way no one else ever has or could, so that his keeping of the Fourth Commandment might count as our perfect track record. He loved his Heavenly Father with a holy, perfect love. He never allowed another idol to displace that love in his heart, so that his pure heart would count in the place of our own idolatry, whether a mother’s disordered love for her children before God or any other idolatry that takes root in our heart. Finally, he bore all the sin, and all the shame and guilt along with it, when he was pierced for us, crucified, and gave his life not just for his own mother, but for every mother – to guarantee that every failed mother would be first and foremost his prized daughter.

And oh, how he cared! Even in the midst of unbearable suffering and pain, his heart went out to his own mother, as we were reminded in the Gospel for today. Even then he cared for Mary, not just as his mother, but as a daughter of the Lord. He looked after her. He cared for her. He cares for you, mother. Even when your own children do not appreciate you. Even when your husband doesn’t support you. The Lord cares for you and always will, for you are his daughter. 

The right relationship with the Lord allows mothers – and all of us – to have a right relationship with others. When the Lord is our first love, we are freed to be more concerned about our child’s faith than our child’s future. My child doesn’t need me to make sure that he’s never bored by ensuring around-the-clock entertainment – my child needs Jesus. Planning birthday parties and play dates aren’t priorities – Jesus is. Coordinating amazing experiences and unforgettable family vacations for my kids right now does nothing for my child in eternity the way Jesus does. The best thing a mom can do for a child is repeatedly point that child to Jesus and Jesus’ love for their child. That way everyone wins. The child will come to love Jesus more and more, which will in turn result in the best kind of love a child can give to a mother. Mom, help your child love Jesus more than your child loves you. They’ll love you for it. They’ll get a sample in you of the dedication the Lord has for them. And they’ll see you the way Jesus’ perfect life and payment for your sin has made you to be – as a dedicated mom. Happy Mother’s Day.