Wednesday, May 9, 2007

Power of a Praying Woman


I remember as a 13 & 14 year old girl laying in my bed in prayer at night. Although no one had ever taught me to pray this way...(in fact, I felt very silly about it in the natural), I would pray for my unborn children, grand children, and great grand children.

I never told anyone, and I couldn't make perfect sense of it; but I had read in the Bible about things like generational curses and the sins of the Fathers being visited on the children and the children's children. I had read that God knew us before we were born, so, I figured we must have existed on some level before we were ever thought of in the natural. If we existed, maybe we could change things in prayer. Although I felt a little silly, deep inside I felt like I was on to something.
Admittedly, most of my prayers were from a place of desperation and fear. I had seen and experienced a lot of things growing up that I did not want to have put on my children. I would pray for my own parenting skills, and even cried out to God, that if I was going to repeat history I did not want Him to allow me to have children.
Yes, I was a very intense child and teenager...I believe that is partly why God has given me (as an adult), such joy in simplicity, and a desire to see through the eyes of a child.

Over time, I seemed to get some understanding of the goodness of God, and stopped praying not to have children, instead, nightly I prayed blessing on all of my children. I was very specific, I prayed about their health, I prayed for their wisdom, and knowledge. I prayed that they would grow in favor with God and man. I prayed that they would love God with all of their hearts. I prayed for their teachers, their bosses, their spouses. I have spent a great deal of time in prayer over each of my children's spouses, their protection, their families...their heart for God, and all of their parenting skills.


It was a lot of years of sowing those prayer seeds, before I would begin to understand the impact that they have had; even yet, I am only seeing glimpses. As time has gone on, and I have actually become a mom. I have had to learn to trust God, and walk out many of those prayers. Here is where I begin to see His faithfulness to the prayers of a young, passionate (albeit scared), girl.

As my children have progressed through various stages, I see God's hand in and on them. is everything perfect? Of course not, but I have learned to trust my Father even in that. At times I marvel at the beauty in their lives, and the ways that God has brought them so much farther at much younger ages than I had ever dreamed of for myself.

He truly has blessed each one of them.


About 6 months before I was pregnant for my youngest child, Jianna, I had a dream. In this dream, I was weeping and in intercession for my unborn child. In the dream, I had just discovered that I was carrying this child who was already big enough to feel it's kicks and bumps. I was concerned that I had not sought out care earlier in the pregnancy.

Mark was trying to reassure me, but I was inconsolable. As I am crying, I hear the audible voice of God in the dream. He said to me, "You have prayed for all of your children since you were a child, those prayers have covered this child as well".


Those words from God, were truly a comfort months later when I discovered I was pregnant, and had been taking mega doses of allergy meds. just to be able to function . They were an even greater comfort when at 7 1/2 weeks pregnant, I was involved in a very serious car accident. I did not spend the rest of that pregnancy wondering even for a minute if the baby would be OK...my Father's words rang in my ears constantly. When this healthy beautiful child was born, I was able to really look at the dream and see God's hand on my life, and on the lives of all of my children. I was also able to receive the confirmation of all of those prayers so many years before. My Heavenly Father had outright told me that He'd not only HEARD them...He'd answered them, and they were bearing fruit.


That has brought me so much freedom as a parent, but also as an intercessor. God' hears my prayers and they do make a difference.

Do I expect my generations to grow up without ever a bump in the road? No, but I know that my God will work all things together for their good.


Whenever possible, I encourage kids...mine, and others, to pray their hearts desires to God. To pour out blessing on their own lives. To pray for their spouses and children and children's children.

We serve a God who loves to not only hear, but answer our heart's cry.

There truly is tremendous power in prayer...and when we do not yet see the fruit, we must persevere in our sowing.

Women, moms, grandmas, girls you can change the course of future history through your prayers. You need to understand the effect you have praying from a "mother's heart"...whether or not you ever become a mother in the natural. Women are born nurturers and we can be mothers to a multitude in the spirit without ever giving birth physically.


Sing, O barren, thou [that] didst not bear;

break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou [that] didst not travail with child: for more [are] the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.

Isaiah 54:1

5 comments:

Roxanne said...

"...you can change the course of futre history through your prayers." WOW!! What a privileage and responsibility!!

Rhonda said...

Great post Jen.

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Unknown said...

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Shaun and Holly said...

Great post Jenny!!

Williams Family Blog said...

Jen,
This says a lot....I guess for me my number one responsibilty as a mom is to be in prayer for my kids.

It is also really neat how God plants gifts within us and how we often see evidence of these gifts at a young age.....