Marriner’s Moment: Mothers Emerging Through Faithful Prayer – Pt. 2

Most of us don’t have to read the bible to learn about the faithfulness of mothers. We all know the stories of Hannah, Mary (Jesus’ mother) and a host of other courageous, faithful and praying mothers in the Bible. Many of us – myself included – know first-hand that were it not for the prayers and faithfulness of our God-fearing mothers, we would not be where we are today. We have been blessed to know and experience the unconditional love, sacrifice, wisdom and, yes, even discipline of loving, faithful mothers.

Growing up in church, there were the ‘church mothers’ who were not shy about shushing us, swatting us if the situation called for it, or giving us stern looks of disapproval. Some of us regarded these icons dressed in white as mean and unapproachable, but the role they played in our churches was significant. For many of us, they were our ‘village’. They demanded and received respect. They were shrewd women who weren’t shy about sharing their wisdom – whether you wanted to hear it or not. While sometimes their faith was more rooted in tradition than Scripture, most of them had at least one thing in common – they loved the Lord. They had faith and they were strong, fearless and determined women who knew how to ‘get a prayer through.’

Times have changed, and while change can be good or bad, one thing for sure is that it is inevitable – except for the love of a mother. The love most mothers feel for their children never changes. Their love is immediate, unconditional, powerful, eternal and unshakeable. There is nothing that can stop, hinder or take precedent over a mother’s love for her children. We have all heard stories of how mothers have lifted cars or other objects – twice their weight and armed with nothing but love and adrenalin – to save a child’s life. We’ve heard stories about mothers giving up their last morsel of food to feed their children. And, we have seen – and some of us have experienced – mothers working two and three jobs to provide shelter, food and clothing for their children. A Mother’s love is infinite.

This month, as we celebrate mothers emerging through faithful prayer, let us reflect on some the characteristics of faithful and praying mothers. Happy Mother’s Day!

”Peace and power.

© Dr. Melvin O. Marriner,
Grove Church
May 2017