Three Ps of Power in a Mother's Prayers

Three Ps of Power in a Mother’s Prayers

A mother's love can be summed up by three “P”s, each one of which is an essential element that the Lord can use to establish the life of her child on the straight and narrow path that he must walk if he is to follow faithfully after Jesus. Those three Ps are: pleading, persistence, prayer. I am sure that many of you know Jesus as your Savior because of your mother's diligent employment of those three powerful Ps in her supplications before the Throne of Mercy and Grace in your behalf.

Here is a wonderful story from Matthew 15:21-28 that illustrates how a mother will plead for her child: “Jesus…went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, ‘Have mercy on me, Lord! Son of David, my daughter is tormented by a demon.’ But he did not answer her at all.

“And his disciples came and urged him, saying, ‘Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.’

“He answered her, ‘I was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’

“But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me.’

“He answered, ‘It is not fair to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.’

“She said, ‘Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.’

“Then Jesus answered her, ‘Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.’

“And her daughter was healed instantly.”

The distraught woman was seen running to Jesus where she supplicated for mercy for her daughter. This mother, in her hour of need, knew where to go for help and she was not ashamed to fervently plead for her daughter.

The second P—persistence--was another weapon in her arsenal to break down what seemed to be the Lord’s resistance to her request. She was not put off by the Jesus’ seeming reluctance to grant her plea. When He suggested she and her daughter were not those to whom He was sent, she affirmed that by the letter of the law she had no claim to His mercy; but she was not standing on the technicality of His having been sent to the House of Israel. Rather, she stood on the fact that He was the image of the Living and True God whose mercy is available to everyone.

When God delays His answer, much as He did in the parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18:2-5, we must stand fast as she did and as did the distraught woman in the account of the power of a believing mother. When we come before Him with our need, we must be resolute. We must be determined that we shall not give up; we shall persist until His clear answer comes.
Isaiah 65:24 gives us a precious reminder of God’s attention to our needs. The prophet says, "Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will hear." God, who knows our need before it’s spoken, has promised to hear and answer our prayers.

If persistence defines this mother’s pleas, then prayer is her greatest weapon. In verse 25 of today's scripture we hear the simple prayer of faith, "Lord, help me!" This woman knew that prayer moves the hand of God. Though she was powerless in her own strength she knew the One who had all power would move in the behalf of her supplication if she would but plead before Him in believing persistent prayer.

May we learn the lesson of faith that this mother knew. May we ever plead for Christ’s mercy toward our children; may we persist in faith without wavering, may we be totally assured that the prayer of faith is effectual to the perfect outworking of the Lord’s good plan for those we love.