Mothers are our first friends, teachers and role models. And if we were raised in a Christian home, our mothers (and fathers too) were probably the ones who first told us about Jesus.

The power of a praying mother is understated.

In C. H. Spurgeon Autobiography: The Early Years, 1834-1859, the prince of preachers himself had this to say about how his mother had shaped and influenced him in the way she explained scripture and prayed with her children:

“I cannot tell how much I owe to the solemn words of my good mother… I am sure that, in my early youth, no teaching ever made such an impression upon my mind as the instruction of my mother; neither can I conceive that, to any child, there can be one who will have such influence over the heart as the mother who has so tenderly cared for her offspring.”

Just take a quick look into the Bible, and you will also find inspirational women of prayer in the likes of Sarah, Hannah and Elizabeth, among others. 

It’s been opined that women still can’t have it all, but well, this mum is pretty dang close. She seems to be working 24/7/365 – when she’s not answering emails or rushing for meetings, she’s preparing meals and rushing to pick her kids from school.

She probably lives on morning coffee and drinks only the strongest blends. Sometimes, she feels like she’s all over the place. Finding the strength to keep going and the wisdom to balance her career and her children can be awfully challenging (and tiring). 

Your prayers can be the lifeline she needs to stay afloat in the never-ending waves of busyness, so here’s one: 

Lord, I thank you for the love that you have shown me through my mother. I thank you for sustaining her through busy schedules and heavy responsibilities. Grant her joy in the toil for which she labours, and through the family whom she loves. Empower her as she juggles these commitments. May the joy of the Lord be her strength. May her busyness never crowd you out of her life. May she, in you alone, find her rest. 

She wants to be the perfect mother – there is no room for mistakes. 

Maybe she’s a clean freak and can’t bear to leave any dirty dishes in the sink. Maybe she only gives her kids organic food and the most nutritious stuff, so they’ll be strong and healthy. 

Perhaps she blames herself when her child falls ill or just doesn’t seem to be “turning out well”, whatever that means.

Perfectionistic mums need your care too, so here’s a prayer to lift her up:

Lord, I commit my mum into your loving hands. Help her to show grace to herself. You are good and your love endures forever. Lord, you love and provide for her children more than any mother ever can. Grant her the serenity to accept the things she cannot change, the courage to change the things she can and the wisdom to know the difference.

For the bad rep they get, it’s not easy being a tiger mother. Tiger mums are super committed to their cause.

She can be hard on her kids, but it’s really because she loves them. She can be strict with her kids, but that’s because she wants the best for them. Her kids know the value of discipline, hard work and perseverance – well, they better. 

Even so, in this age of anxiety that is so driven by comparison, it’s easy to see parenting as a competition too. The line between being loving and overbearing has never been so fine.

They need our prayers, so here’s one for all the tiger mums: 

Lord, I thank you for my mother’s tough love, though it’s hard to see that she loves me at times. I pray for my mum – be close to her and crowd out any spirit of comparison, which is the thief of joy. Grant her trust in your provision. For myself, I pray that you never let me be proud or have an unteachable heart. And let all that we do be done in love.

She’s sufficiently involved in your life to be your best friend while also living her best life, enough to make you want to be her best friend. 

She’s faster than you when it comes to all the latest trends and doesn’t need you to explain how to use Instagram or TikTok – she already knows. You love spending time together, and can count on her to cheer you up when you’re down. 

She’s not a regular mum; she’s a cool mum. Still, cool mums are never too cool for prayer, so here’s one:

Lord, I thank you for the care my mum has shown me throughout the years and for the closeness we’ve enjoyed in times of laughter and of tears. Teach me, Lord, to be a blessing, as she has been to me. Teach me, Lord, to count my blessings daily unto Thee. 

Parenting is tough enough with both parents around – imagine then the burdens a single mum has to face. 

When the responsibility of raising kids and supporting a family rests fully on one set of shoulders, every day is a battle.

She may be the sole breadwinner, she may not have anyone to pick up the slack when she’s sick, she may be fighting off feelings of guilt or sorrow. 

Two passages related to motherhood come to mind. They are prayers of mothers frowned upon by society: the song of Hannah, mother of Samuel (1 Samuel 2:1-11), and of Mary, mother of Jesus himself (Luke 1:46-56).

Found at the opening of their respective books, they are the important cries of the downtrodden that set the stage for the rest of the book’s contents: songs of praise to their God who overturns human hierarchies and protects the faithful.

After all, in this topsy-turvy economy of God’s kingdom, it is the least who shall be the greatest (Luke 9:48). 

Here’s a prayer for single mums:

Lord, I thank you for my mum who has loved and cared for me sacrificially all these years – she is indeed a gift from you. I ask that you watch over her and empower her today and every day. In moments of trial, would you be her strength. In moments of trouble, would you be her song. Teach me, Lord, to know how to love my mother too, so that we may be a family made complete in you. 

BONUS: Here’s a prayer for all the mums-to-be out there. It’s never too early to start praying for your child (and yourself)!

Lord of life, I rejoice in this precious gift you’ve given – this baby who is fearfully and wonderfully fashioned. Let this child be healthy and strong. May he or she lack nothing, and everything belong – 10 fingers and 10 toes, hands to do your work and feet to go where you go. In this sweet hour of waiting, grow my heart to be attuned to Thee, as you grow this child perfectly. 

This Mother’s Day, we honour all mothers (there are many other types out there we weren’t able to include) and you can do the same in your prayers.

Here’s to all mothers, thank you!