Prayer Warrior Momma

1 Timothy 2:1 (NLT) ~ I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.

I have been a witness to my momma’s prayer warrior spirit my entire life.  I remember at a very young age looking through our family bible, the huge kind that takes two hands to carry.  She had placed inside the bible four separate envelopes with each of our names on them.  Inside were specific prayers for each child.  I looked at that envelope with my name on it at least a dozen times or more growing up.  It gave me comfort and made me feel seen and loved.  There have always been little prayers in the margins of her bible or in her journal or on her mirror.  She was a praying momma.  Her prayers kept me safe when I was living the prodigal daughter life and they gave me the strength I needed to jump out of the boat when God called me into the ministry. 

This past Wednesday, I was helping her clean out her bible while we were waiting for the bible study to start.  She had dozens of old bulletins and other little pieces of paper tucked in the pages.  I noticed in the front and back of the bible she had a list of children’s names from when she taught a Sunday School class back in 2004.  I recognized almost all the names.  Kids who are now grown and have kids of their own.  I realized in that moment that my momma was not just my prayer warrior.  She had been a prayer warrior for people that probably never knew she was praying for them.

As I read those names and looked at my momma who now struggles to remember where she is sometimes, I realized, it’s my turn.  My mom cannot pray the way she used to, so it’s my turn to keep a list of kid’s names in my bible.  To stand in the gap for others as my momma always stood in the gap for those in her circle of influence.

Last night, Brother Damon spoke about God calling the foolish, weak, and despised to do His work (1 Corinthians 1:27-29).  Sometimes I think we avoid becoming that prayer warrior we are being called to be because we think we don’t know the right, lofty words to say. God isn’t looking for eloquent words.  He looks more at our hearts than our words. I think He can do more with, “Lord Jesus help them.”, than a 20-minute soliloquy of Shakespearian rhetoric.  We have people in our lives that need us to step up and be for them what my prayer warrior momma has always been for me!