ROCKWALL/HEATH, TX (Jan. 26, 2015) We hover over our children as they start school, and we might do it all over again—with more restraint—as they move up to middle and high school. Then again, we get anxious as they go off to college, career or marriage. And just when we begin to relax about their well-being, they tell us we’ll be grandparents!
For Christians, all of this worry should be channeled into prayer. The Gospel of Luke says Jesus encouraged his followers “always to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1; ESV).
One long-time ministry makes it easy for mothers to connect with those who share common burdens. Moms in Prayer International (previously Moms in Touch), is an interdenominational ministry on a mission “to impact children and schools worldwide for Christ by gathering mothers to pray regularly.” Moms have responded from all across the U.S. (nearly 12,000 schools are prayed for) and in over 140 other countries.
This ministry had its beginning 30 years ago when Fern Nichols, concerned about her junior-high boys, invited a few other school moms to pray with her. She later wrote an award-winning book, Every Child Needs a Praying Mom (2003, Zondervan), and, more recently, Mom’s Little Book of Powerful Prayers (2014, Zondervan).
A group near you
One Rockwall mom, Kay Orr, says she discovered this prayer ministry in Flower Mound when her son began kindergarten twelve years ago. After moving to Rockwall the next year, she joined a group of moms praying for children attending Nebbie Williams Elementary. Kay eventually became a group leader and now serves as the Moms in Prayer area coordinator for both Rockwall and Kaufman counties.
Moms in Prayer groups can be small—all it takes is two moms and a ministry booklet to start one—but they’re plentiful. The ministry website includes a group locator that currently shows around a dozen groups around Rockwall County. Both area high schools and several middle schools are covered in prayer. Six out of thirteen elementary schools have groups, and some have additional, language-based groups (the Leader’s Guide is available in six languages). These groups pray for students, teachers, staff, activities and any issues related to their children’s school. The prayer meetings are not publicized, and they’re not held at the schools.
When, where, and how
Moms in Prayer groups typically meet in homes, though some meet in churches or other locations. They meet weekly during the school year for one well-structured hour that begins with devotion and Scripture readings—available through the website. In the second half-hour the group breaks into twos or threes to pray more specifically for their children.
Besides those that serve a particular school, Moms in Prayer groups are formed by mothers who home-school, moms with special-needs children and by those whose children are in college, a career or the military. There are even groups for grandmothers who pray. (Kay says there’s a strong grandmothers group in Rockwall).
Kay still attends a local group and says she enjoys the fact that some of her now 18-year-old son’s friends are kids of Moms in Prayer members. She will contact anyone searching for a group through the website, and she can train—“informally”—those who desire to start a new group.
Contact Kay Orr at skworr@yahoo.com, or visit MomsinPrayer.org. The website also has sample prayer sheets to view or print (see “Leaders Corner”).
By Blue Ribbon News contributing writer Patti Richter of Heath.
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