You hear us talk a lot about moms who are struggling. But what if you’re not?
What if motherhood isn’t a source of chaos for you, but a source of strength. What if instead of taking your peace, motherhood brings you peace.
Do you still need to pray when everything’s going ok?
Short answer? Yes.
I’ve put together four reasons I believe we should be praying for our kids regardless of how things are going in our lives. Follow along below and then tell me what you would add in the comments!
1. God tells us to pray.
Prayer is more than just asking God to fix something. It’s a natural part of relationship with Him. And while most people don’t find it to be all that natural, I think it was meant to be. In his book entitled Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God, Pastor and Teacher Timothy Keller says, “…prayer is simply a recognition of the greatness of God. To fail to pray…is not to merely break some religious rule—it is a failure to treat God as God.” From the beginning, God walked with His creation in the Garden, talking with them and communicating His heart for them in a natural outgrowth of loving relationship. And now, even though sin kicked us out of the Garden, and our relationship with God has changed, He still walks with us because He is IN us—His Holy Spirit dwelling inside the heart of the Believer. God wants relationship with His children, and He’s ordained prayer to be the main way it happens.
2. Prayer helps us see things God’s way.
One of the very best things praying scripture did for me was get me in the Word of God more often. By the time I became a mom, I had read most of the Bible (not all at the same time!), but I was having a hard time applying it on a daily basis. My circumstances often left me feeling overwhelmed, out of control, and like I was without hope. I needed the the Word to get IN me…be living and active FOR me (Hebrews 4:12), and help me see things God’s way instead of what my circumstances wanted me to see. It was quite literally like putting glasses on for the first time. As I spent time searching the Bible for verses to pray over myself and my family, God’s Word changed me from the inside out…which leads me to reason #3…
3. Prayer helps us overcome lies with the truth.
I’m a reactor. What I mean when I say that is that I’ve struggled with controlling my emotions my entire life. I tend to react first (even if you don’t see it), then slowly talk myself down off the ledge. I noticed this for the first time when I was in grad school (although it had probably been going on my whole life). It was the second week of class (of my first semester as a grad student) and I hadn’t paid attention to the fact that several larger scale homework items were due within a couple of days. I remember sitting in class as the professor reminded us of the assignment feeling like I was going into full on panic mode. My internal monologue was spinning out of control, and by the time class was over I had convinced myself I was going to have to drop out of the program. A phone call to my dad (on a PAY phone!!) saved the day. I told him what was going on, and because he knows me so well, he was able to walk me through steps I could take to get back control. Essentially, he told me the truth, and I chose to believe it (and I never let assignments get away from me like that ever again). Since then, there have been lots of times when I felt my emotions spiraling out of control. The only thing I’ve ever found that works to help me overcome the lies my emotions sometimes tell me is to replace them with the truth of God’s Word. Instead of allowing that internal monologue to fill me with fear, I tell IT God’s truth. Over, and over, and over again in the form of a prayer until I believe it.
4. Prayer gives us quiet moments with open hearts.
As moms, we NEED quiet moments. I thought I had none when my boys were little…always wanting my attention…but it hasn’t changed a lot now that they’re teenagers. They still want my attention, and their schedules often dictate our days. I have learned about myself, as both a mom and an introvert, that I need quiet moments like I need air to breathe. More than that, I need quiet moments where my heart is open to listening to God…being corrected by His Word, challenged to grow, or simply comforted with enough hope to keep going.
These are all more than just reasons to pray. They’re the stuff that sustains our faith in good times and in bad. So if you’re a mom who is struggling with motherhood, pray. And if you’re a mom who isn’t, pray.
