"A Praying Mother"

Hi there, this is Lon Solomon and I'd like to welcome you to our program today. You know it's a tremendous honor that God has given us to be on stations all around the nation bringing the truth of God's word as it is uncompromising and straightforward. And I'm so glad you've tuned in to listen and be part of that.

Thanks again for your support and your generosity that keeps us on the radio. And now let's get to the word of God. Now, you know, every Mother's Day we talk about motherhood. And I want to do that again today and begin with a statement that I totally believe.

And this is my statement that the greatest power anywhere on this earth is a praying mother. And that's what I want us to talk about. If you're a mother here today or a grandmother or a foster mother, then what we're going to talk about today is right in your wheelhouse, ladies. But if you're a woman here today that doesn't have children yet, what we're going to talk about today is still right in your wheelhouse because most of the lessons that have been learned that I'm going to share with you today, mothers have learned as they've been raising their children.

And that's okay to learn it a little bit by trial and error like that. But how much better is it if we knew all of this stuff going in from day one of being a mother? And so when God gives you children, if He does, and I hope He will if you want them, how great is it if you know all of this from the very start? So listen up because this is in your wheelhouse too.

And for us gentlemen, this is in our wheelhouse as well because there's a lot of great lessons in here for us as dads and future dads. So are you ready? All right. Let's try again.

Are you ready? Here we go. We're going to start with James chapter 5 verse 16. The prayer, James says, of a righteous man or woman can accomplish much.

And then James goes on to actually give us an example in real life. He said, Elijah was a man with a nature just like ours. And he prayed earnestly that it might not rain.

And it did not rain for three and a half years. And he prayed again, and the sky poured rain, and the earth produced its crops. So let's just look at what Elijah accomplished through prayer. Isaiah 57 verse 15. God says, I dwell in a high and holy place, that's good, but also with him or her who is contrite and humble in spirit. Therefore the Lord is near to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. And there is not a person on this earth more humble, more broken hearted, more contrite, more desperate, and more crushed in spirit than a godly mother crying out to God on behalf of her children in need. And so the bottom line, moms, is when you get on your knees for your children, the Bible is clear that the doors of God's heart are wide open to you. Now, in light of that, what are some of the things that you should be praying for for your children as a mother? Well, I mean there are lots, but I picked out five to suggest to us today, and let me tell you what they are.

Suggestion number one. I suggest that as moms we pray for God to incline the heart of our child to him even when that child is still in the womb. See, the Bible tells us that the soul of your child does not begin at birth. Jeremiah chapter 1 verse 5. God says to Jeremiah, before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. And I love Luke chapter 1 where Mary, who is pregnant with the Lord Jesus, goes to see her cousin Elizabeth who is pregnant with John the Baptist.

Watch what happens. Verse 41. And when Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby, John the Baptist, leaped in Elizabeth's womb.

Elizabeth said, Why am I so favored that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For as soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb, John the Baptist, leaped for joy. Friends, the point is that little baby, John, in Elizabeth's womb, had a living soul that responded spiritually to coming into the presence of the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God. Mom, don't you dare underestimate what is in your womb.

It is not just a bunch of cells. It is a living person with a living soul, a soul that can be prayed for, a soul that can be touched by Christ long before that soul ever comes down the birth canal. I remember when Brenda was carrying our children that I used to lay down on the bed and put my hands on her tummy and we used to pray for this child in her womb. And what would we pray? Well, we would pray that God would give this child a tender heart to the things of God. We would pray that God would give this child a heart to accept Christ at an early age and a love for the Word of God and a love for prayer and a desire to tell people about Christ all the days of their life. Now, Brenda and I are kind of done.

You know what I'm saying. But I have daughter-in-laws now who are having grandchildren and I don't put my hands on their tummies because that would be not appropriate, but I still pray for them the very same way. And my daughter-in-law Kristen is expecting our sixth grandchild next month. And right now I'm actively praying when I talk to Kristen on the phone and every day for her, for that child in her womb, for these very same things.

Number two. Suggestion number two is that as a mom we pray for God to set our child apart for His glory and to make a difference in the world for Christ through this child. You know, God set Jeremiah apart like this when he was a child. Jeremiah chapter 1 verse 5. God said, Before you were born, I set you apart and appointed you to be a prophet to the nations. God set Samson apart as a child.

Judges 13. Then the angel of the Lord appeared to Samson's mother who was childless and said, You're childless now but you are going to have a son and I'm going to use him for he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines. God set him apart to use him, Mom. Hey, God set Samuel apart to be used as a child.

He did it. Hannah, if you remember Samuel's mother, 1 Samuel 1, prayed, O Lord of hosts, if you will look kindly on my misery and remember me and give me a son, then I will give him back to the Lord all the days of his life. So God gave her that son, Samuel, watch, and Hannah said, For this boy I prayed and the Lord has granted me what I asked. So now I dedicate him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is given to the Lord.

And God went on to appoint this little child as the great prophet of Israel, 1 Samuel 3.20, and all Israel knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the Lord. We can go back and talk about how God took David and Solomon and Esther and Moses and Jacob and Joseph and Daniel when they were all children and consecrated their lives to him and then used them to impact their world for Christ. And as a mom, this should be our daily prayer for each of our children. Lord, I dedicate this child to you as long as they live.

They are given to you. Please set their life apart and use their life to make a difference for Christ in our world. When you pray for your children like this, mom, you better buckle your seat belt because I'm telling you, you're going to be shocked to see what God does with your children as a result of this kind of prayer.

Suggestion number three. Suggestion number three is that as a mom, we should pray for our child's future spouse. See, I believe something with all of my heart. I believe that God has someone special and specific picked out for your child to marry. God is assuming God wants them to marry.

God doesn't necessarily lead everybody to get married, but if your child is to get married, I believe God has a perfect match for your child and a perfect match for the one he's going to match up with your child. Now, a lot of theologians don't agree with this. A lot of commentators don't agree with this, but they're wrong. It's just that simple.

They're wrong. As moms, I'm telling you that from day one of our child's life, we should be praying for their future spouse. That this person would have a vibrant walk with God. That this person would have a Christ-like lifestyle. That this person would have every godly virtue that our child needs to be a partner in life and that when their paths cross, sparks will fly. I mean, you stay out of that, but pray for it.

You understand what I'm saying? Now, I got to tell you, Brenda and I did this with our boys, and I want to stand here and say publicly and without apology that all three of my boys married exponentially above their head. Exponentially above their head. Praise the Lord and praise the Lord for these women they got. I might add, I married exponentially above my head too.

I might add that. But I would watch these guys growing up and I would say, who in the world is going to want to marry you? I mean, you think that's... I know these people. I know these people.

And I would say, oh my gosh, man. So I have two theories about how they married the incredible women they did. My first theory is that God sent a spirit of stupor on these women, and by the time they figured out what happened, it was too late. They were already married. That's my first theory. My second theory, which I really think is the right one, is that Brenda and I prayed not for years, but for decades for these women.

Decades. And I'm telling you, don't you dare underestimate the power of praying for that spouse. They're out there and we need to be praying for them. You say, but Lon, how does all this fit in with the sovereignty of God and the free will of man and how that all works in choosing a mate and meeting... I don't know. And I don't care. It makes no difference to me. All I know is that as a parent, I should be praying for the spouse in the future, for my child, and it's up to God to figure out the rest. Amen?

I don't even know how He does it. I don't care. Just bring those great women to our boys. And for you who have daughters, well, God help you.

Pray for those great men out there. Yeah. Amen. All right.

So, number four. Let me suggest that when we pray as moms, we pray for God to protect our child from corrupting influences. 1 Corinthians 15, 33 says, Do not be deceived. Bad company corrupts good morals. You say, what does that mean? It means, friends, if you hang around with a peeled onion long enough, you'll start to smell like one.

That's what it means. And you know, there are a lot of peeled onions out there. Friends who would love to lure our children into ungodly and destructive behavior. Girlfriends and boyfriends who would love to tempt our children into compromising their walks with God.

Ungodly professors who would love to undermine and shipwreck our children's faith. And as moms, we need to pray that God will put a hedge of protection, a fence of protection around our children. Like he did Job.

Check it out. Job chapter 1, verse 10. Into which he does not allow Satan to bring these corrupting influences.

And you know what? I don't care how old our children get, they still need their moms praying this for them. Because Satan is not a respecter of age. He will just as happily take down a 59 year old as a 9 year old. He doesn't care.

So I don't care whether your children are grown with children of their own. As moms, our prayer has got to continue to be for their protection. Amen? And finally, number 5.

Let me suggest number 5. That as moms, we pray for ourselves. That God would help us to be the kind of godly example we need to be so our children can imitate that.

You know, I think one of the most challenging verses anywhere in the Bible is found in Philippians chapter 4, verse 9. Here's what Paul said. He said, the things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things and the God of peace will be with you. Now how can anybody say that? How can anybody say, just look at me and everything you've seen me do, everything you've heard me say, every attitude you've seen me display, every response to every situation that you've seen me exhibit, copy that and God will be with you. Holy smokes. Who can say something like that? You say, well, Paul had never driven on the beltway. Well, no, no.

Even if he had, I still think he could have said this. Wow, that is an amazing thing. And since we know with children more things are caught than taught, man, moms, we need to be praying that what we say and what we do and the way we react and the attitudes that we project, that they are the kind of things that our children, if they copy them, the God of peace will be with them. And I love this poem entitled When You Thought I Wasn't Looking. Let me read it to you. When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make my favorite cake for me and I learned that little things can be special in life. When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick and I learned that God wants us to help take care of each other. When you thought I wasn't looking, I felt you kiss me goodnight and I felt loved and safe. When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw tears come to your eyes and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it's okay to cry. When you thought I wasn't looking, I heard you pray and I learned that there is a God I can always talk to and trust. When you thought I wasn't looking, I learned most of life's lessons that I need to know to be a healthy and productive person when I grow up. When you thought I wasn't looking, I looked at you and wanted to say, Thanks, Mom, for all the things you taught me when you thought I wasn't looking. Listen, Mom, no matter how bad your child's friends are, no matter how rotten the neighborhood is, no matter how corrupt the school environment is, no matter how ungodly or spiritually disinterested Dad may be, Mom, your godly example can overcome it all. And this is why we need to be praying for ourselves that the Lord will help us live as moms in such a way that we can turn to our children and authentically say to them, Honey, sweetheart, the things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things and the God of peace will be with you. So let's conclude. As a mom, the most powerful legacy we can leave our child, well, it's not carpools and it's not great meals and it's not a beautifully decorated home and it's not spic and span floors.

It's not a living room with color coordinated chairs or a toilet bowl that's sanitized. They don't care about any of that. You know what they care about? And what they'll never get over is your prayer life for them. They will never get over that.

They will never forget that. And they will never recover from your prayer life for them. And what should we be praying?

Five suggestions. Number one, praying for them in the womb that God will turn their heart to Him. Praying for them as children that God will set them apart unto Himself and consecrate their lives to be used for Christ. Praying for their future spouse and praying for their personal protection from harmful influences and praying for ourselves to be Christlike examples for them.

And one more thing I want to say before we're done. And that is that many times, and we need to know this, a godly mother's prayer for her children may not get answered until she's already gone over to be with the Lord. See, sometimes we think that when we leave this earth, our prayers go with us, but they don't. They stay here and God continues to answer the prayers of godly mothers even after the mothers are with Him in heaven. I'm reminded of the story of John Newton, the man who wrote that great hymn, Amazing Grace, when he was a young man.