While looking through my store of reading material, I came across this little treasure, "The Value of a Praying Mother" by Isabel Byrum. As I refreshed myself with the contents, I thought about the time spent raising my six children, who are now all grown, and the memories began to unfold before me. I thought about all the time spent before God in prayer asking what I should do, how I should do it, and when I should do it.As saved parents, we want the best for our children. We want them to be the very best they can be, naturally and spiritually. It is a great blessing when there are two saved parents in the home raising the children. However, as a saved mother, a lot of the responsibility for nurturing our children's emotional and spiritual development mainly falls on us.
Isabel Byrum opens the book by contrasting two stories. In the first story, the biblical character, Hannah, who had been barren, earnestly prays for a child. God hears and grants her request. She loves and nurtures the child and when he is weaned, gives him back to the Lord. We know the outcome; the child, Samuel, grows, serves God, and becomes a great prophet. In the second story, a baby is born to unscrupulous parents and his mother tosses him on a trash pile. The father sees him, gathers him up, and forces the mother to care for him. Being raised in these conditions, the child naturally follows in the path of his parents. With no morals and no scruples he becomes well acquainted with court procedures and prison walls. Looking back on his life, he stated that he was always armed, and a man's life meant no more to him than a dog's. After spending many years behind bars he became a changed man, thus, proving that God's love can reach even those who seem hopeless.
Oh that mothers everywhere would take warning! The environment in which our children are raised has a strong impact on their future lives. As any true, prayerful mother nestles her child closely to her bosom, she knows that she is infused with a divine, mysterious power; an influence which she cannot understand! She sees her imperfections and longs for wisdom to know how to guide her child. God alone can, and will, supply that knowledge and understanding.
Isabel tells of a mother, Mrs. Worthington, who, plainly and simply, fashioned her life by God's word and endeavored daily to teach her children the deep truths of salvation. She showed them the importance of obeying the conscience and the danger of trying to find excuses for bad behavior, especially when they knew right from wrong. She prayed with them and taught them by example, as well. She was blessed to see the fruit of her labors in the way her children played and went about their everyday activities.
This opportunity to provide daily instruction in Godly principles is the reason family devotions were so important in our household. The lessons learned during these family times were priceless. With much prayer and God's wisdom and grace, there was a minimal amount of bickering between my children. They were very close to each other.
We had a little one with the very spirit of lying. With prayer and wisdom from God, before applying the rod of correction, we had her quote Revelation 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. There was always prayer before discipline was administered and after awhile we were able to report victory over that lying spirit. She even gave her heart to God. My youngest daughter, who is now saved, said one time after being disciplined, that she knew I loved her because I disciplined her. As parents we must stay on top of situations and keep a clear head. Any type of lie is wrong. There is nothing cute about it. The same goes for those little things they do that can lead to bigger, worse things; even something as simple as having their own way.
A story was told of a certain young man condemned to death. He was allowed to speak to one person before his hanging. He chose to speak to his aunt. When she got close enough, he bit off her ear! He then explained his behavior to the shocked crowd. If she had questioned the little things he brought home, perhaps things would have stopped there. Had she dug deeper when he told little lies, perhaps it would have stopped there. If she had only questioned and not accepted the stolen gifts he gave her, perhaps he would not have been hung on this particular day.
On my job one day, a grandmother brought her granddaughter back to the store. She had taken an item she really liked without paying for it. Her grandmother made her apologize and give it back (something you don't see much of these days). The child was sorry and I told her God forgave her. Hopefully that stealing spirit was nipped in the bud.
As praying mothers, we must make time to talk to our children as they go through various stages of life. We must look deeper, ask more questions, make time, and pay close attention when it comes to our children. We must listen to them and really hear them. It is our responsibility to prepare them for life. We must pray for the right words at the right time.
Mrs. Worthington, was a woman of prayer and God-given wisdom. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given James 1:5. We must go to Him for help and guidance. His strength is made perfect in weakness. We don't know how to raise our children on our own. We need God's guidance.
There is so much more to be said about raising our children and "The Value of a Praying Mother" provides lots of helpful information. We must remember that there are no short cuts to raising our children. We must put them in God's hands, love them, guide them, and more than anything, enjoy them while we have them in our care.
Comments (1)
Amen!