Mama, Are You Praying?

 I promise this is the last song that the Lord has written through Randy Travis that I will comment on. It is about the power of a mama’s prayers. At this point in time, there are many mamas throughout the world that are praying, and many more that should be. There are mothers praying for their young men and women, who will always be their little boys and girls, who are serving their country, defending us against terror, rescuing the persecuted and helping to spread freedom to the oppressed worldwide. They pray without ceasing like 1 Thessalonians 5:17says, for their children and the children and others they are helping in our country and countries around the globe. They pray for safety, strength, protection and return.

There are mamas praying as schools around the country get ready to open. Some sons and daughters will be leaving home for the first time, to build their own lives. Others will be returning to local schools in their own communities, but mamas still pray, knowing all the things in the world that are competing for the minds, hearts and souls of their children. It doesn’t matter the population of the school, community or neighborhood, or even if you school at home. Satan roams the Earth- all of it- like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, and our children are prime targets. He knows no classroom walls, school districts, household boundaries, etc.. He cares about one thing- destroying people and their relationship with the Creator of the World. Mamas pray.

Mamas pray for their children who have children of their own, for children who have no mamas, for public servants, for government leaders and a host of other people. The song says:

When mama prayed, good things happened

When mama prayed, lives were changed

Not much more than 5 foot tall, but mountains big and small

Crumbled all away when mama prayed.

The song relates the story of how papa said that he would never go to church. It was just something he wouldn’t do. Mama prayed, and kept praying fervently. That Easter Sunday, Daddy showed up at church. The young teenager was going his own way, bent on “raising Cain” if you will. One night he walks in “half sober” and hears his mama talking things over with Jesus. He figures out that his “restless” days were over. They were. Again I know that this is just a little country song, but the message is universal. The lyrics go on to say that not all of mama’s prayers were always answered, but those times were few.

Our Sovereign God, who knows the big picture, does not always work the way we think He should (How grateful for that am I?) but He hears our prayers and answers them. Some answers are yes, some are no, and some are wait awhile, until just the best time.

Chonda Pierce jokes that in her wayward days, her mother would pray for her in her presence, OUT LOUD! I don’t know that I would suggest that, especially when you are in a heated moment. Prayers in condemnation are cause for spankings from the Lord (Experientially speaking, trust me on this one.) I do believe that our children need to hear us praying for them specifically, whether  it be about a certain concern they have asked for help on, or are struggling with, or in general. Our children need to hear from our own lips where we know our help and their help really comes from. They need to hear us praying, so they will also recognize when and how prayers are answered. They need to know that there is power in prayer, and we are their first examples.

The point is, often even before we do anything else, the best thing we can do in any situation is pray-- for protection, for provision, for wisdom, strength, courage, help, ability and faith to stand against temptation, for trust in the Savior, for God’s Light to shine mightily in the darkness. Mama…are you praying?