A Mother’s Powerful Prayer
27. For this child I prayed; and the LORD has given me my petition which I asked of Him:
28. Therefore, also I have given him to the LORD; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the LORD. And he worshipped the LORD there.
1 Samuel 1:27-28
A Power of a Praying Mother
We often make assumptions that the people in the Bible were more spiritually gifted than people are today. The truth is, the same spiritual virtues and resources are available today. As a matter of fact, there are more study guides, and more prayer journals, and tools to better use the Bible than ever before. The only difference between today’s believer and the believer in Biblical times is something called focus. The believer of this age must focus on God as their only true source of life.
This celebration of Mothers’ Day is indeed a time to reflect on those who impacted our lives in such a way that they demonstrated their faith in God. Many of us had mothers who told us about God and taught us to honor God. It was something they believed with all their heart.
Prior to my mother’s passing, I had the wonderful privilege of spending a couple of days a week with Mom. My job, in South Boston, Virginia, allowed me share some time with her that I shall forever cherish. My wife would call in the evening and ask what I had for supper and I often felt guilty because Momma was feeding me like a prince in a royal courtyard. For six years, I was able to enjoy my Momma’s cooking and her company.
One particular memory of spending time with Momma stands out from all the rest. As I was preparing for work one morning, I noticed Momma sitting in her chair with her Bible in her lap. Her head was bowed, and she was praying. That scene so moved me to tears because somewhere in that prayer, I realized she was praying for all her children. That vivid picture is one that I shall forever cherish as I reflect on three solid truths of a mother’s prayer. It was an humble prayer to God. It was a prayer for her children. It was a prayer that got results. There is no doubt that I would not be the man I am today without the dedicated prayers of my mother.
Hannah’s Powerful Prayer
Samuel, the first Prophet/Judge of Israel had a praying mother. Hannah’s misery moved her to pray. Hannah’s prayer motivated her to seek God. The prayer was more than a ministry, it was her mission. Hannah said, “For this child I prayed.” People have often used the phrase ‘prayer ministry.’ I am not sure that the two terms work well together. Prayer is to petition or make request to God. The one praying has nothing to bring to God and is therefore totally depended upon God to answer the request. On the other hand, ministry means ‘service’ or to ‘work for the benefit of others.’ Hannah had nothing to bring to the Lord; her weakness and inability had forced her to her knees. So she cried out to God for help. How could she minister or serve if she possessed no means? Our great fault is that we attempt to bring something to God in prayer, when we possess nothing. Prayer then, is not a ministry. Like Hannah, we must be on a mission. This was Hannah’s humble prayer to God.
When we are on a mission to seek God, God will make Himself known. I love how God responds to Hannah’s request, and the LORD remembered her. 1 Samuel 1:19. That is a short Scripture but it is so insightful. God ‘remembered’ meant that God recognized Hannah. He did not forget her and then had to recall what He had promised. The word ‘remember’ carries with it the connotation to mark something for future reference. Genesis 8:1, God remembered Noah… does not mean that the LORD had a lapse of recalling Noah. God had put a ‘mark’ on Noah by placing them in the Ark. The same word is used of God remembering Abraham. God had marked Abraham for future blessing. Hannah’s mission was to seek God and as she sought the LORD, God remembered her.
Note also, Hannah’s prayer was a prayer for her child. Stating the specific request and knowing that God could provide was the utmost priority. Thus Hannah’s prayer was honored. As God remembered Hannah, so she also remembered God as she testified to Eli, For this child I prayed; and the LORD has given me my petition which I asked of Him. In this way she did minister to the LORD by giving back to God what she had prayed for.
This portion of the text becomes a bit confusing for some. In the flesh, Hannah’s action appears irrational. Why would you pray for something and then give it back to God? Yet, in the Spirit, Hannah’s actions make perfect sense. The Spirit tells another story. Hannah prayed for a child. She did not pray to keep the child as a trophy or to prove that she was just as good as Peninnah. Hannah’s prayer did not have a personal agenda, but rather a God agenda. In 1 Samuel 1:11 she prayed, O LORD of Hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of Your handmaid and remember me, and not forget Your handmaid, but will give unto your handmaid a man-child, then (watch this) I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head. Hannah had consecrated the child as a Nazarite before he was even born or even conceived. It is clear that her intent was to honor God. Then she would be able to say, For this child I prayed; and the LORD has given me my petition which I asked of Him.
The Bible says (1 Samuel 2:21), The LORD visited Hannah so that she conceived and bare three sons and two daughters. No one could do that but God. Hannah had given God her best, then God gave back to Hannah. God remembered Hannah, then she in turn, remembered God.
Powerful Prayers for Children in Trouble
Children do not come with instructions nor do they come with warranties. They are a gift from God according to Psalms, but they can also be targets for the devil. Our next praying mother encountered a situation that she could not handle. Children can bring you immense joy and they can bring you intense pain. One thing is for certain – they are not just your children, they are a gift from God. The Scripture in Matthew 15:22 introduces us to a mother in a crisis. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to Him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.” How would this mother pray to God for her child and get results if God didn’t seem to be listening? This mother, like Hannah, was determined to get her request through to God.
Sometimes we take prayer to be a simple a requisition that we fill out and God grants what we need. Yes, we petition God, but prayer is not a formula. We must learn about God in prayer. In Matthew 11:28-29, Jesus said, “Come to Me all who labor and are heavy burdened and I will give you rest … take My yoke upon you and learn of Me; for I Am meek and lowly in heart: and you will find rest for your souls.” This now persistent mother was learning some things about Jesus. Notice, she had heard was that He was the Son of David and she believed that He had the power to heal her child.
The woman also considered that Jesus was in her country. Why would the Son of David come to her neighborhood and not offer an opportunity to make a request? While the Syro-Phoenician woman did not understand Jewish customs, she did understand that Jesus had power to deliver her daughter. She was a praying mother.
When the Disciples suggested sending her away, Jesus did not send her away, but gave her this first answer. “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” The woman was now in a place to make her request. She now had heard from Jesus. Jesus still did not say “No.” So the woman made a simple but powerful request; “Lord, help me.” She did not try to justify her request nor to make elaborate supporting statements; she needed God’s help. She was steadfast and had replied to Jesus. She knew she did not deserve the blessing and did not argue that point. After all, Jesus had come all the way to Tyre and Sidon; His power had not changed. He was the Savior no matter where He went.
Then Jesus said something that gave the woman access to the results of prayer. He said to her “It is not right to take the Children’s bread and toss it to dogs.” She could have ended her request at that point; gotten offended over those words; left the scene of prayer in a rage and gone back home. This mother knew that if she returned home without the prayer being answered, her daughter would remain in that condition. So the woman took Jesus up on the offer and said “Yes Lord.” “Yes it is Lord,” she said, “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” In her reply, she took Jesus up on the offer. It did not matter that she was not considered of the children of Israel, because she was not. It did not matter that she was considered to be a Gentile and a dog in the eyes of most Jews, because that was so. What mattered is that she get at lease a crumb that fell from the table.
This mother believed two things. One that not every Jew was taking advantage of Jesus’ prayer answering power. She also believed that a crumb miracle had the power to deliver her daughter. For that reason her prayer was powerful and got the results that she needed. Jesus responded to the woman’s request. This time, the answer was a clear “yes” to her request for mercy. Then Jesus said, “O woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed that moment. The mother went home with the answer and found her daughter healed.
Mothers don’t give up on your prayers to God just because you have not seen the results you expected. God has a time and a place for all His miracles. Your task is to keep on praying for your children and asking God to bless them. Samuel is a great example of the results of prayer. The daughter of the Canaanite woman is a great example of the power of prayer. Lastly, my own life is a good example of the power of a mother’s prayer. Keep on praying and never give up on your children.