You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
— Psalm 139:13-14
Father, you are the creator of all. You knew me before I was born, and you know me intimately still.
My identity is so wrapped up in my job as a mom that when I fail, I feel as if I am a failure as a person. But you know every part of me and still accept me. Remind me of this throughout my day.
May my children know that they are loved not only by their parents but by you. May they find their worth in you and not in what others say about them.
Thank you for creating my family and loving them even more than I do. Thank you for the simple joys and the extravagant love that abound in our home. Thank you for surrounding me with such an amazing family.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us. — Titus 3:5
God, you are worthy of our praise and our gratitude. With everything in me, I praise you.
On days when I feel that I am at the end of myself, remind me that I don’t need to be perfect. When I strive for perfection, I fall short. When I rely on you and not myself, I see how great you are. Teach me to focus on you.
Be with my kids today, and teach them that they must rely on you. Give them exactly what they need to get through today.
Thank you that I can rest in your promise of grace. In Christ’s name, amen.
You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. — Isaiah 26:3
Dear God, your ways are perfect. Your will is good. You deserve all praise.
You have promised perfect peace to those who focus on you. Help me to keep my thoughts on you. When I rush ahead to the next plan or responsibility, bring me back to you and your goodness.
Help my children to fix their eyes on you when they experience fear or anxiety. Show them who you are, and grow their trust in you.
I am grateful for the gift of peace we have in you. Thank you for the example of faith that I see in my children’s lives.
In your precious name I pray, amen.
Excerpted from Pocket Prayers for Moms by Max Lucado, copyright Max Lucado.
The Bible is full of amazing women and mothers who set such a good example for us to follow. I love reading about the moms of the Bible who had real struggles in their midst and yet showed such a faith and endurance.
That’s where the example is for me – where the stuff of real life meets us and gives us the opportunity to walk out our faith. Here are three of my favorite moms of the Bible and why they inspire me.
Eve - Genesis 1-5
Let’s just start at the beginning with Eve, shall we? After God created man and woman, he saw that it was good. However, even in Paradise, Eve gave into temptation and ate the forbidden fruit. She sinned. Her sin could have drove her down a deep path of depression and death, but instead she still chose to continue with the task given to her by God in Genesis 1:28, to be fruitful and multiply. Even through some mishaps along the way with their son, it still resulted in a pretty amazing lineage.
Bathsheba - 2 Samuel 11
I can’t imagine what Bathsheba was feeling when she was summoned to be with the king. David’s indiscretions with her led to much heartbreak as she found herself pregnant, then widowed, then married to the man that caused all of this. Despite all of that, she learned to love King David and kept strong for her son, Solomon. Did you know she’s one of only five women mentioned in the Messiah’s genealogy in Matthew 1? Instead of letting her heartache lead to despair or walking life as a victim, she decided to live life fully with a heart of love.
Mary, mother of Jesus - Luke 1
Sometimes I wonder just how Mary felt when the angel Gabriel appeared before her to tell her that she was going to give birth to the Messiah. The Bible tells us that she was afraid and asked how it could be because she was a virgin, a legitimate question. Even through her fear and wondering, she accepted the overwhelming task to carry the Savior of the world, risking whispers behind her back, criticism, and judgement, to name a few. Mary was real about her emotions, but she pushed through how she was feeling because she had an awareness about laying down her life. She knew the risk and the uncomfortable stares were worth being obedient to God.
I struggle with trying to attain perfectionism, but as that struggle to be the “perfect” Mom seems to be ever present around me, I’m remembering this Mother’s Day that my precious kids aren’t looking for perfection. They are looking for a mommy who will love them right where they’re at. They are watching and observing the way I handle the difficult situations of life and learning invaluable lessons. Being real and not trying to create a perfect facade is what brings me closer to my kids.
Her children will rise up and call her blessed. – Proverbs 31:28
Happy Mothers’ Day to all our moms! We are thankful to God for you!
Pastor Dale