The Power of a Praying Wife and Parent

A couple of months ago our Wednesday night ladies class coordinator (as well as an elder's wife) asked if I would speak to the class sometime on The Power of a Praying Wife and The Power of a Praying Parent. Immediately I began to dread speaking infront of 40 ladies, many of whom are older and much wiser than me. I began to think of some excuse I could offer her. Deep down inside I knew it was something I should do, even though I don't feel gifted in the area of teaching ladies Bible class. I enjoy teaching children and teens, but I get extremely nervous teaching the ladies class. I guess I feel like the majority of them have more life experience than I do. Why should they listen to me? Well, I agreed to teach, just like I do every time, and then I volunteered some of the ladies in my Bible study group to help. They weren't too excited at first either, but they graciously agreed to teach with me.

My friends and I have been studying these two books by Stormie Omartian at our Tuesday Morning Bible Study. Studying these books with the ladies helped us to focus our praying and taught us many ways to pray for our children and spouse. I highly recommend them.

Here is some of what we shared with the ladies class this past Wednesday night.

Praying for your child or husband is not a means of gaining control over your child or husband. In fact, it is the opposite. It is releasing that power and relying on God’s power to transform US, (YES, US) our children, and our husbands. It’s a way to invite God’s power into our husband’s and children’s lives for his greatest blessing, which is ultimately ours too.

Praying gives you hope. God can restore all that we as humans have messed up. We can trust Him to take away the pain, hopelessness, hardness, and unforgiveness. Only the Lord is perfect. We need to look to Him as the source of all we want to see happen in our family, instead of thinking “If our husband and kids would just listen and follow what I have to say things would be great.” It is our responsibility to pray. It’s God’s job to answer. Leave it in His hands. We also have to realize that God doesn’t always answer our prayers like we want. That is part of releasing that CONTROL. He knows what is best for us. We can’t change our husbands or children. However, God can.

Many times God has to change us to make situations better. We have to be open to the fact that we might need to change. Sometimes we might need to pray “Lord, change me”. Pray that you will be your husband’s helpmate, companion, champion, friend, and support.

We discussed specific areas of their husband and children's lives they could cover with prayer, giving them some personal testimonies. Then we left them with one final thought.

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins.
(I Peter 4:8)

We can never be the perfect mother or wife. What will cover the places where we miss the mark as a wife and as a parent? LOVE Pray that God helps you love your child and husband with such unconditional love that it smoothes all the rough places, heals all wounds, and covers your weaknesses.

Needless to say, I am glad we have it over with. My dear friends did a wonderful job speaking from their hearts. I haved learned so much from them and am thankful for our friendship.

God often calls us to step out of our comfort zone and this was certainly one of those times. I also have to remember that just because my friends and I were younger than many of the ladies in that class, I believe that God still used us to touch their hearts. I know I am constantly learning about God from the precious teens we work with.