Sunday, May 8, 2022

A Mother's Prayer


I love when several things come together, building upon each other. 

It started when a friend, a widow who lives alone, told me that she sings and plays hymns as worship to God. Somehow I had never thought of keeping a hymnal with my Bible. 

Then another friend told me that she wrote out hymns by hand, and hung them where she could see and reread them. 

Then another friend mentioned that she uses hymns as prayers. My church tradition doesn't include scripted prayers, but we sign many hymns that are prayers.

So I put these three suggestions together and flipped through a hymnal, finding prayers of worship, prayers for others, and prayers for myself. I copied several out and propped one by my mirror. 

The first hymn I chose was one that I've considered my "mom prayer." These words help refocus my mind on days that parenting feels too big. I thought I'd share it with you on Mother's Day. Whether you are a mother or not, we all need to be filled with God's love before we can love others.

Lord, Speak to Me
by Frances R. Havergal

Lord, speak to me, that I may speak,
In living echoes of Thy tone:
As Thou hast sought, so let me seek,
Thy erring children lost and lone.

O lead me, Lord, that I may lead
The wande'ring and the wav'ring feet;
O feed me, Lord, that I may feed
Thy hungering ones with manna sweet.

O fill me with Thy fullness, Lord,
Until my very heart o'erflow
In kindling thought and glowing word,
Thy love to tell, Thy praise to show.

O use me, Lord, use even me,
Just as Thou wilt, and when, and where;
Until Thy blessed face I see,
Thy rest, They joy, They glory share.
Amen. 

6 comments :

  1. Thank you for this excellent post! Often have I sung Miss Havergal's hymns over the years, but I knew nothing about her. Perhaps there are others who are like I was, and for them I include this link to a short biography of Miss Havergal; at the bottom of the page is a link to many additional biographies. I wish everyone a blessed week.
    https://www.wholesomewords.org/biography/bhavergal7.html

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  2. I too have found hymns to be a means to worship in my devotional time w God. Some hymns are so rich. The one you posted today is so appropriate for Mother's Day.
    May God lead you as you parent your children.

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  3. I also have found it very edifying to incorporate hymns with prayers. In particular, they've been very meaningful as part of daily prayers with my children. We sing "Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee" together every morning, and before bed we sing "All Praise To Thee My God This Night For All the Blessings of the Light." (Of course there are some days where one or both don't want to sing, and I don't push it - prayerful attention will do. But usually they want to sing.)

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  4. I think I will copy this idea! I have felt like I need something to align myself to my mothering task first thing in the morning, and this sounds like the ticket.

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  5. I started following your posts several months ago because of the book recommendations. I'm a book lover too. I've copied some down onto my TBR list, which was getting unnervingly short. I hope you and your sister keep sending the ideas our way! I really appreciate your last two posts. My life has felt crazy busy the past school year and I too have had to ask myself evaluating questions. Sometimes I don't like the answers. :) And what a beautiful hymn for mothers. I never thought of it in that context, but it is perfect! For what it's worth, I've made your whole wheat bread recipe for years (someone shared it with me) and I get lots of compliments on it.

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  6. Oh, Gina, that is such a good prayer for our children. God is able!

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