The Power of Mom

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I Samuel 1

God bless moms!  There’s something special about the power of a mom.  A mom’s prayers, person, passion, and purpose is stirring, and impacts us all.  The prophet Samuel had a mother named Hannah, and she gives us 4 insights into the POWER OF MOM.

1: The Power of Mom’s PRAYERS

  • Key verses: 1 Samuel 1:9-20
    • Take time to read Hannah’s prayer for a child.
  • Hannah was infertile and deeply distraught. Her pain over the lack of a child was severe. Yet, even in the midst of her pain, she turned to the Lord and prayed for a child.  The Lord heard her prayers and graciously answered them and gave her Samuel.
  • Prayer is just one way moms show they care. There is power in a mom’s prayer, as evidenced in Hannah’s life.
  • We all know moms have a lot they pray about!
    • God, if you will give me a child…
    • God, heal my child…
    • God, help my child…
    • God, rescue my child…
    • God, guide my child…
  • Abraham Lincoln once said, “I remember my mother’s prayers and they have always followed me.”

2: The Power of Mom’s PERSON

  • Key verses: 1 Samuel 1:1-6
  • Hannah was her own person.  You can see how raw, real, and religious she was.  She demonstrates a strength of character and determination that is inspiring.  She did not quit, but persevered and persisted in her belief that God would answer her desire to have a child.
  • Life is not fair and it can be full of despair.  It can rip and tear.  It hurts sometimes.  But one thing that sets Hannah apart is that she persevered and kept her eyes on God.
  • Hannah was amazing, and so is every mom.  Every mom is one of a kind and special.
  • Thank you moms for your hard work, faithfulness, devotion, and commitment to Christ.  Your stories are amazing and God is doing something special in and through you.
  • Edgar Allen Poe stated, “Because I feel that, in Heaven above.  The angels, whispering to one another.  Can find, among their burning terms of love.  None so devotional as that of ‘Mother.’”

3: The Power of Mom’s PASSION

  • Key verse: 1 Samuel 1:7-8
  • One thing that inspires me about Hannah, and many moms, is their passion.  Their deep conviction and devotion to their kids and family and beliefs is reflective of their passion.
  • Hannah would not be dissuaded by the mean-spirited insults of her rival (v. 6) and she would not be placated by her husband (v. 8).  She would not be detoured in her desire to have her own children.  She was deeply passionate about it.
    • I’m not saying that passion is the key to dealing with infertility.  Pain in this life is real, and it doesn’t always go away.  But what I deeply appreciate, and I know we all appreciate, is women who know what they believe and believe what they know and hold fast to it.
    • When it comes to moms, they are passionate about their kids and families.  You can see it and hear it.  It is palpable.
  • George Washington said about his mom, “My Mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw.  All I am I owe to my mother.  I attribute my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her.”

4: The Power of Mom’s PURPOSE

  • Key verse: 1 Samuel 1:21-29
    • Notice the power of a mom’s purpose and influence in these verses.
  • Hannah was purposeful in the raising of Samuel.  She saw Samuel as a gift from God and presented him as her gift to God.  She believed in her heart that God had plans for her son.
    • It is what every mom does.  She sees the potential in her child and she plants the seeds of belief, vision, and possibility in her child’s heart and mind.
  • Moms have an internal GPS (God Positioning System) that guides them as they raise and shape and mold their children.
  • There’s something powerful about mom.  Mom’s word matters.  Mom’s influence is supreme. No one believes in their child more than their mom.
  • Condoleezza Rice said of her mom, “My parents elected me president of the family when I was 4.  We actually had an election every year and I always won.  I’m an only child, and I could count on my mother’s vote.”

Final Thought: The Power Available for Mom’s PAIN

  • Hannah’s pain was real and it was raw. You could sum it up in two words:
    • Infertility: 4th woman in the Bible (Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, Hannah), and she handled her pain the best.
    • Invisibility: She felt insignificant, unworthy, rejected, defeated, and discouraged.
  • She turned to God – and so can you.
    • Maybe you have lost a child this year or in recent years.
    • Miscarriages.
    • Troubled marriage which makes being a mom extra hard.
    • Single mom (toughest job in the world).
    • Couldn’t be a mom, but wanted to.
  • Jesus cares and He is aware.
    • Trust Him.
    • Call out to Him.
    • Remember He loves you.
  • Lean into God’s Word.  Here are several key scriptures for moms in pain:
    • 1 Peter 5:7: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
    • Ps. 147:3: “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
    • Is. 49:13: “…For the Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.”
    • Is. 40:28-31: “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

We honor you, moms, and pray God’s richest blessings on you as you mold and shape the children He has entrusted you with.