"In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the LORD, weeping bitterly. And she made a vow, saying, 'LORD Almighty, if you will only look on your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life ..." 1 Samuel 1:10-11a (NIV)

Hours before I was conceived, my mom got on her knees. "Lord, if You will give me a baby tonight I will dedicate it to You and for Your service all the days of its life. Amen." God answered her prayer that night, and all my days have been devoted to Him in large part due to the fervent prayers of my mom.

My mom followed in the footsteps of millions of mothers who prayed for their children. From the time of Samuel until this very day, some of our most influential Christian heroes became history makers because of their mothers' prayers.

Samuel's mother Hannah poured out her soul to the Lord for years, pleading for a son. Eventually, God granted her prayer requests with her son Samuel, who Hannah dedicated to the Lord (1 Samuel 1:10-11a). He grew in wisdom, became a great prophet and judge, and led the Israelites into victory over the mighty Philistines.

Susanna Wesley raised her sons, John (one of the greatest evangelists of the 1700's, speaking to crowds of more than 20,000) and Charles (who wrote over 9,000 hymns still sung today) in a home dedicated to the Word of God and prayer. In the midst of raising 10 children, she would spend two hours a day in personal prayer. On days she couldn't find a place of solitude, she would lift her apron over her head to be alone with God.

George Washington was known for his humility, perseverance and dignity. His mother Mary raised him and his siblings as a single mother after her husband died when George was 10. It is recorded that she went to a nearby rock outside her house to pray continually. George wrote letters to his mother while on the battlefield of the Revolutionary War, that he escaped death when bullets went through his coat and horses were shot out from under him. Miracle after miracle happened to George, and he honored his praying mother with these words: "All that I am I owe to my mother."

Billy Graham has led nearly three million people to freedom in Christ and has preached the Gospel to more than 80 million people during his lifetime. He has said of all the people he has ever known, his mother, Morrow, had the greatest influence on his life. She would gather the family to listen to the Bible and pray together. She and his dad would pray for Billy each morning at 10:00.

Every Christian mother contending, interceding and praying for her children has the potential to change the course of history for God's glory. Our world is in need of God-filled history makers to rise up. I'm going to pray more diligently than ever for our children and their future and will stand on these promises of God:

Matthew 21:22, "And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive" (NKJV).

John 14:13-14, "And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it" (NKJV).

I will pray as my mother, Hannah, Susanna, Mary, and Morrow did for their children. I will pray for my children and for generations to come with unwavering passion and persistence. Will you join me?

Let's rise up and be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might as we pray to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than we can think or imagine.

Father, You hear our prayers, and You promise to answer them, according to Your will. Teach me how to pray for my, and other's, children that they might become fishers of men and bring You glory. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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Related Resources:

For more on praying for your children visit Sharon Glasgow's blog and enter to win a free Susanna Wesley Prayer Apron.

Scripture calls us to care for all children. In Fields of the Fatherless, Tom Davis shares God's heart for children and how we can be the hands and feet of Jesus to kids.

Prayers for a Woman's Soul by Julie Gillies

Reflect and Respond:

Pick several Scriptures to pray specifically for your children.

Write out your prayers for your children in a notebook or save them in a special file on your computer. As God answers them, record how He works. Keep this to pass down to your children.

Power Verse:

Colossians 1:9, "And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding ..." (ESV)

© 2013 by Sharon Glasgow. All rights reserved.