Even if your mother in law isn’t the highest woman on your list, you probably owe her tremendously. Why?
Because if you have a mother-in-law, then you’re either a man who married her daughter, or a daughter who married her son. She gave birth to the love of your life.
If you have children, then at some point, you realize these sweet little blessings wouldn’t have come into the world without her. That makes her pretty darn important, yes?
How do you show her love? How do you treat her like a priority? How do you handle conflict or concerns?
I love this example God gives us in Mark about Simon making his mother-in-law a top priority–and the compassionate response Jesus has over the situation.
As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them. Mark 1:29-31
The text doesn’t give much more information about her here other than she was in bed with “a fever.” Was it a deadly fever–as would be suggested by her being in bed? Or was it just a small fever?
I don’t know.
But…does it matter?
She had a fever. She was not well. She was with need.
Simon, an attentive son-in-law recognized the need. Did he call for a doctor? Possibly. But that isn’t in this story.
What is in this story? What was the important part God wanted us to recognize when reading this? They immediately told Jesus about her. I mean, think about it. Do you really believe He didn’t already know who she was, where she was, or if she was well? Of course He knew.
This small story is a beautiful example of Simon’s heart. He immediately told Jesus about her.
And in Jesus’ compassion, He went to her, took her hand and helped her up.
Friends, our mother-in-law is a gift to us. And even when she looks like she has it all together, she still has needs. With sin and sickness in this world, she will indeed get fevers now and then. Some of them we will never know about. But some will land her in bed–completely knocked down.
We may or may not need to call upon doctors or others to assist her. But certainly, we should do as Simon did, and immediately tell Jesus about her–even though He already knows.
I firmly believe He will go to her. I firmly believe prayers are never ignored, even when we can’t see or hear an answer.
In fact, when we don’t see the answer to our prayers, we should keep praying. Pray harder. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you pray. And keep watching for an answer.
I encourage you all to make your mother-in-law a priority. Do the most important thing you can to help her in any way that you can–immediately tell Jesus about her–often. Is there any way to love someone more?
Are you praying for your mother-in-law? I would love to hear your encouragement.
I continue to tell Jesus about my mother-in-law. I know He is reaching for her hand. And I’m praying that one day, she too will choose to take His hand, be healed of her fever, and get up and serve Him. I’d love if you added her to your prayers as well.
Blessings,
www.growinginhisgrace.com
Heavenly Father, we praise You and we thank You for the gift of our mothers, through whom You give us life and through whom we experience love. We thank You for Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, a mother so gracious and a woman of example in motherhood for all of us.
Psalm 127 : 3 “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward”
Lord Jesus Christ, we pray and we lift up all mothers today, believers and non believers alike in Your name. Motherhood is a beautiful journey, caring and nurturing a life from God and seeing it grow into a part of humanity.
We pray that mothers today everywhere do take a moment to think of this beautiful and gracious gift from God in their livelihood.
Proverbs 31:25- 27 “Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness”
We thank our mothers, giving thanks for all the pain, suffering and commitment in raising us as children. We thank them for the sacrifice of their time, pleasures and interest to give us a life of contentment.
Heavenly Father, we pray that they are highly favored and, in Your heart of Grace, they have a wonderful place in existence.
We thank our mothers and we thank them for all the pain, suffering and commitment in raising us. Click To Tweet
Mothers separated from their children
Lord Jesus, we pray for those mothers who are separated from their children. You know the heart of mothers and how they are connected to their children in mind, body and blood.
Whether they are near or apart, a mother never forgets her child. She always prays for the safety and well being of her child.
May they continue in prayer as they lift up their concerns and hurts of heart and seek for You Lord to be their children’s guide.
In Your perfect timing and in Your will, may forgiveness and reconciliation be part of their life and in joy unite with their children and savor motherhood to the fullest.
Those who have lost their mother
We pray for those who have lost their way as mothers. Help them remember that there’s always time to turn back and become a better person in life.
Their old bitter and bad ways could be left at Your feet and in Your love and forgiveness they are a new being.
Help them believe that though situations and circumstances may not be fit, they can make a difference and change if only they believe.
Praying for all mothers
May our prayer warm the hearts of all mothers today. May they know that they are loved and precious. Let they know they are worthy in their call. There’s no failing so great that cannot be forgiven, forgotten and renewed in You Lord Jesus.
May mothers today all over the world feel in their heart the joys of being called a mother and in all their goodness and all their failings, be blessed in Your love and forgiveness. We pray in Grace they belong close to You Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
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Choosing the right gift for somebody as important as your mother for such an important day as Mother’s Day can be difficult! It is no small accomplishment to find something useful, beneficial, and significant, but one gift stands head and shoulders above any other option.
And the remarkable thing? It costs nothing for the giver and is worth everything to the recipient. What is it? Prayer. For many of us, our mother’s’ prayers have been critical to our own success in life. Here are 5 ways you can pray for your mother:
- Pray for her mind. Pray that her thoughts would be guarded and guided by truth, and that she would know the peace that comes from trusting wholly in a gracious God whose plans for her are only good.
- Pray for her sight. Pray, as the Psalmist did, that your mom would “see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living” (Psalm 27:13). Ask God to open her eyes to the blessings all around her.
- Pray for her heart. Pray that God would “give the desires of heart and make all plans succeed” (Psalm 20:4). Pray against the discouragement that can so easily rob our mothers of joy. Where your mom has experienced hurts and wrongs done against her, ask the Lord to heal her heart.
- Pray for her hands. Pray God would show her the work she is meant to accomplish–the important, unique role He intends her to fill. Pray she would use whatever gifts God has given her.
- Pray for her knees. Pray she would know the sweet fellowship of time spent with God in prayer.
Committing and praying for your mom is the greatest gift you could give her. Pair this promise with a unique, prayerful book of 12 postcards ready to color and mail, and you have this year’s Mother’s Day gift ready to go! Buy the book for your mother or for yourself and send the cards to her throughout the next year to remind her of your love and commitment.
1 Praying
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