The Power of a Praying Woman by Anne WilsonSample

Devotional 1: A mother's love…The power of two folded Hands. For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. Psalm 139:13 ESV

God gave you one biological mother and two grandmothers, but have you ever thought about all the women the Lord used to bring you into existence? Going back four generations, you will find that 15 women are woven into your DNA, and if you go back ten generations, that number jumps to more than 1,000! The Lord planned all these particular women to come before you, and all their struggles, hopes, and dreams wrote life stories that led to yours.

If you are fortunate enough to have heard stories passed down, you will quickly realize that our modern lives are quite different from our great-grandmothers and those who came before her. Those in our generation will likely never toil morning until night churning butter, defeathering chickens, hand washing laundry, and sewing clothes - all while tending our ten children.

Though we don’t expend our energy performing all-day chores like our mothers’ mothers, we have the same responsibility to carry their spiritual mantle forward into the next generation - using our time wisely to pray for and invest in our children, our sisters, and all the women who will follow after us.

Reflective Questions:

• For the mamas: What has your daughter taught you about the Lord, life, or love? What are some beautiful attributes you see in her that she may not see in herself?
• For the daughters: How does your mother inspire you with her faith, work ethic, encouragement, or creativity? What are some favorite memories you have of your childhood?

Prayer: Lord, while not all of us are mothers, we are all women who can invest in the lives of other women. For those of us with daughters, we thank you for showing us what it feels like to watch our hearts walk the earth. For all of us with mothers, we thank you that you guided their paths that led them to motherhood and that you knit them together just as you did us. We acknowledge the beautiful bond of mothers and daughters, and we also praise You that one does not have to birth a daughter to love one. Thank You for our grandmothers, aunts, sisters, friends, and mentors who have helped shape us into Your daughter. Amen!