byMothers are precious people on the face of this Earth. The world is heavily populated today because many women choose to give birth. I am grateful for my mother because she has done a good job (with my Dad) to raise me and my two brothers. But there is one thing I want to say about mothers, predominantly Christian mothers. It’s how they keep praying for their children and husbands. It’s such an awesome practice, and I am a massive benefactor of it. But there’s something called praying the right way for your child as a mother. Why? God doesn’t grant all people’s prayer requests, although He receives all of them. And I am going to explain this.
Learn more about making your prayers effective here.
Hannah’s story
Hannah was the mother of Samuel in the Bible. He was one of Elkanah’s two wives. The Bible doesn’t specify whether Hannah was the first wife or the second. But the Bible did say that Elkanah loved her (see 1 Samuel 1:5). She was childless in marriage for some time, although Peninnah, the other wife, was having children. Because of this disadvantage, Peninnah gave Hannah a very tough time in her marriage. The Bible says several times that she (Peninnah) kept provoking her, even to the extent that Hannah refused to eat. That was harsh. Right? But that’s what Hannah went through.
Hannah resolved to pray because she knew that only God could save her from this infertility issue. It’s not because Hannah couldn’t give birth. Instead, the Lord had closed her womb (see 1 Samuel 1:5). I don’t fully know why God did that. But I can say that God’s wisdom is more sovereign than any human wisdom. I’ll share just one reason why I think God closed Hannah’s womb, which can help you pray well, especially as a woman desiring the fruit of the womb.
Children are delicate and are receivers of almost anything, whether good or bad. So monitor your child(ren) and ensure they are raised in the fear and admonition of the Lord.
Tweet
Get the motive behind your prayer requests right.
In my personal view of the story, one of the reasons why Hannah got Samuel after praying so much for him is her shift in motive. In 1 Samuel 1:10-11 [(NIV) Boldface mine], the Bible says,
[10] “In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the LORD, weeping bitterly. [11] And she made a vow, saying, “LORD Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”
After this prayer, God opened Hannah’s womb to have children, Samuel first. At first, she was desperate to have a child mainly because of the rivalry between her and Peninnah. It’s the same case with many delayed prayer requests. As long as you ask God for something for selfish or lustful reasons, God will likely delay it until you get the motive right. James 4:3 (NIV) confirms this. It says,
[3] “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”
While I may be talking about mothers praying for their children today, this principle also applies to all other prayer topics.
Don’t give up on your children.
To conclude, I want to give you some solemn advice. Dear mother, don’t give up on your children. If you have seen something terrible developing in your child, don’t stop praying for that thing to leave. Children are delicate and are receivers of almost anything, whether good or bad. So monitor your child(ren) and ensure they are raised in the fear and admonition of the Lord.
Happy Mother’s Day.
