A Mother’s Prayers
Acts 1:1–14
Monica never stopped praying for her son. She had raised
Augustine in the Christian faith in their small town in Algeria, but when he
was a teenager the family moved to Carthage in North Africa. Possessed of a
brilliant intellect and an even stronger will, Augustine rejected his mother’s
faith and instead chose a life in pursuit of immorality. In his
autobiographical book Confessions, Augustine spoke of his years of debauchery:
“Years passed, in which I wallowed in the mire of that deep pit, and the darkness
of falsehood . . . All which time that chaste, godly and sober widow . . .
ceased not at all hours of her devotions to bewail my case unto You. And her
prayers entered into Your presence.”
Three hundred years before the birth of Augustine, we can
only imagine how another mother labored in prayer for her children. In addition
to Jesus, her firstborn, Mary of Nazareth had several other children. And yet
their family was spiritually divided. John’s Gospel clearly tells us that “even
his own brothers did not believe in him” (John 7:5). The skepticism of her
younger sons toward their elder half brother must have pierced Mary’s heart.
The black Friday when her oldest son hung on a Roman
cross had to be the worst day of Mary’s life. And the Sunday when he rose again
was the very best. Among those to whom Christ appeared after his resurrection
was his brother James. We don’t need to know the words that passed between
them. It’s enough to know that when the disciples and the women gathered to
pray in the upper room following Jesus’ ascension into heaven, Mary was among
them. And her other sons were with her! Praying. The One they had rejected in
life was the One in whom they now placed their faith for eternity.
Monica’s prodigal son Augustine became one of the most
famously devout fourth-century Christians: the Bishop of Hippo. The Confessions
of St. Augustine is a classic of the Christian faith. Mary’s son James became
leader of the church in Jerusalem and wrote the New Testament book that bears
his name.
Do you have children, grandchildren or children whom you
love—related to you or not—who have turned away from God? Years may pass
without any apparent external change. But heaven hears your loving intercession
on their behalf. Take heart! God hears your prayers for your children.
Reflection
Speculate on why it wasn’t until the resurrection that
Jesus’ brothers believed he was who he said he was.
If you have a prodigal or know a prodigal, how does this
devotional offer you hope?
Spend some time praying for those who have walked away
from the faith of their mothers. Ask God to hear your prayers and bring the
straying children home.
Acts 1:14
They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with
the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
Related Readings
Matthew 18:12–14; Luke 15:11–32; 2 Timothy 1:5–7
Submitted by Vicki Birch
