“And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying.” Acts 12:12
Mothers are called on to do many things in their relationship to their children, but they do nothing greater than pray for their children. Do you have a praying mother? If you have a praying mother, there is nothing on earth God could have given you to be more of a blessed benefit to your life than a praying mother.
Many mothers are glad to be educated mothers. As a matter of fact, today we have more females in college earning college degrees than we do have males in college earning college degrees. Being an educated mother, as fine a thing as that is, is not to be compared with being a praying mother.
Many mothers are good cooks. It is a wonderful thing for your mother to be able to cook. I remember an evangelist friend of mine who said his mother could not cook anything right. He said that her meals were awful to try and eat. When he went into evangelism, he never realized why God gave him a mother who could not cook until he went into evangelism. When he started traveling in different homes and eating other peoples’ meals, if they were terrible meals he would say, “You remind me so much of my mother and her cooking.”
Every young wife has suffered at the comparison of mother’s cooking. My wife to this day will not attempt to make meatloaf for me to eat because she says there is no way that she can get it close to my mother’s meatloaf. Many a young wife has suffered at being compared to mother’s cooking. If you have a mother that is a great cook, that is wonderful. I am glad. You are probably showing the results of her great cooking. But being a great cook is not to be compared with being a praying mother.
Do you have a praying mother? If you are a mother, are you a praying mother? May God help us to be a people of prayer.
In this amazing story, the Bible says in verse one, “Now about that time…” It is referring to the time of the Passover. Historians tell us it is about late 44 A.D.; maybe eight or so years after the death of Stephen. “…Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church,” this is Herod Agrippa the First. The word “vex” means to literally “crush.”
Notice what he did. He went after the leader. The Devil wants to always try to get the leader. We are going to see a miraculous thing take place in Peter’s life. If you want to trace the miracle back to its source, you are going to find people in a house praying where a mother knows how to pray.
Often when we see the amazing things that God has done, for us and for those that we love collectively in our churches, we do not think like we should think. Somewhere in the source of all of that someone is praying and calling on God. God is moving and working in a mighty way.
There are people preaching the gospel as a result of mother’s prayers. There are families staying together that could have broken up. They are staying together as a result of mother’s prayers. There are children surrendering to serving the Lord Jesus and giving their lives to do God’s will, not because of some great opportunity that avails to them, but because some mother is praying for that very thing. Are you a praying mother? May God help us to place the emphasis where God places the emphasis in this matter of prayer.