Becky Thompson and Susan Pitts: On Mother's Day, 3 prayers for moms
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When my little ones were newborns, I (Becky) spent most of my nights awake. I firmly believe there is a supernatural strength that God gives women when they become mothers because there is no other way a human could operate on so little sleep and so much stress.
While my husband did his best to help, many nights I would be the only one awake – well, other than the baby. Those newborn days weren't the only ones where I would find myself awake at night.
As my babies grew, I would wake up with restless toddlers, or a sick little boy, or a potty-training little girl. Stress, worry, fear, my schedule, and my responsibilities all stole some of my rest as well. But no matter what kept me awake, I noticed one thing about the middle of the night.
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The night can be so dark and lonely.
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But, friend, it doesn't have to be. We don't have to feel all alone. Because there are women across the world all awake right now doing the very same thing you are. And there is a God who wants to meet you right where you are.
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And so, a few years ago, I decided this: Every night, I would post a short prayer for women to read who are also awake in the middle of the night. Hundreds of moms would comment on these posts nightly.
We heard from women who were awake with their newborns, up with sick children, in the hospital waiting for test results, sleepless because of worry, enjoying the stillness of their houses while everyone else slept, monitoring fevers, changing wet sheets, waiting to hear from children traveling home, anxious about the next day, and going through so many other common motherhood experiences.
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As this community grew, we needed a place just for these nightly gatherings. So the Midnight Mom Devotional Facebook page was founded. But I couldn’t manage it alone. Knowing I needed help encouraging the hundreds of women who would gather each night and share their prayer requests, I invited my mom, Susan, to pray and post with me.
Today, just four years after that first group of mommas gathered together online to encourage one another in the midnight hours, we reach over 1 million mommas nightly. We’ve also written a collection of all-new prayers for our book, "Midnight Mom Devotional: 365 Prayers to Put Your Momma Heart to Rest."
This Mother’s Day, here are a few of those prayers to hold near to your heart or share with the moms in your life.
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Tonight we pray for the momma who needs to know that her role as a momma is so very important. She needs to understand that as she raises the next generation, she is taking on a precious and important assignment from You. Lord, we know she is doing kingdom work, even when it seems as if she is taking care of ordinary tasks. Help her see motherhood as You do – as a sacred calling given by You. She might feel as though she is just going through the motions, but she is shaping eternity. Bless her tonight. We ask in Jesus’s name. Amen.
Tonight we pray for the momma who feels as if she is climbing uphill. She feels as though this mountain has no top and she will never reach the summit. Motherhood is so much harder than she imagined. She loves her children, but the constant daily struggle to do everything is wearing on her heart and mind today. Lord, we pray for this momma. We ask that You would remind her that she is never alone. Let her know that we, a community of praying women all over the world, are praying for her tonight in her climb. Please remind her that You are with her every single step of this journey. Give her sweet sleep tonight as she rests and prepares for another day. We ask in Jesus’s name. Amen.
Tonight we pray for the momma who is anxious about world events. It seems as if this world is spinning out of control. The news and social media present every issue imaginable to worry about. She can’t ignore these issues because they are right there every day. She feels powerless to bring about any kind of real change in these events. Lord, the only way a momma can really change world history is by influencing the lives of her children. Show her that by raising these precious little ones, she is reaching into the future and saying it will be better because these little lives will have a positive impact on it. Bless her tonight in the greatest calling: that of motherhood. We ask in Jesus’s name. Amen.
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In the stillness and the night, take heart in knowing that women across the world are joining you in prayer and that God is listening and loving you right where you are.
Adapted from "Midnight Mom Devotional" by Becky Thompson and Susan K. Pitts Copyright © 2020 by Rebecca F. Thompson and Susan K. Pitts. Published by WaterBrook, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC on March 31, 2020.
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Susan Pitts and her husband, Marc, host and events and minister across their home state of Oklahoma. She is the Midnight Mom Devotional prayer director, praying for the thousands of requests that come in from around the world. She has two adult daughters and three grandchildren.