Mothers of Influence

  She opens her mouth with wisdom,
And on her tongue is the law of kindness.

  She watches over the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.

  Her children rise up and call her blessed;
Her husband also, and he praises her:

    Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,
But a woman who fears the LORD,
she shall be praised.
Proverbs 31:26-28,30 NKJV

With Mother's Day approaching, I thought I'd revisit a previous post and share a few stories of mothers who had a great influence on their children.  (some of the information is from the book Mothers of Influence).  These mothers are just a few of the many examples of a Proverbs 31 woman. 

Proverbs 31:30 refers to a woman who "fears" the Lord.  This is not referring to the type of fear we think of today.  Websters 1828 dictionary explains it well:  the fear of God is a holy awe or reverence of God.

Susannah Wesley

Susannah Wesley (1669 – 1742) mother to 19 children and famous hymn writer Charles Wesley (wrote over 9,000 hymns), as well as John Wesley, a great preacher of his day.  Mrs. Wesley prayed one hour a day for her children, and could often be seen with her apron over her head – a sign to her children that she was praying.   She also set aside individual time for each child to teach them spiritual things.  A mother of influence teaches her children to pray.

Mrs. Graham with her son Billy

Morrow Coffey Graham (1892 – 1981) prayed that her son would become a world-renowned evangelist and taught him to trust God and believe the Bible.   Her prayers were answered for her son Billy Graham, preached to more people than any other evangelist.   She never stopped praying for him until the day she died.  A mother of influence prays diligently for her children.

Amy Carmichael

Catherine Jane Carmichael (unknown – 1913) taught her daughter Amy Carmichael to love and trust God for all her needs.  Amy later became a very famous missionary to India, rescuing thousands of girls from a life of abuse.  She was known as the mother to the motherless.  A mother of influence nurtures her children and releases them to God’s care.

Fanny Crosby

Mercy Crosby mother to Fanny Crosby (born 1820) was totally devoted to her only daughter.  Blinded in infancy, Fanny was taught the Bible by her mother and grandmother.  She committed much of it to memory and became one of the most famous hymn writers of all time, writing over 9,000 hymns.  Her mother was a firm believer in prayer and taught Fanny the same.  Because of her mother and grandmother’s influence, Fanny’s hymns have blessed millions of people.  A mother of influence devotes herself to her children’s needs.

Well known women’s Bible teacher and author Elizabeth George says:  You and I as parents must always be praying hope for our children regardless of their age or stage in life. In fact, this is yet another one of God’s “missions” for moms and dads: We are to be diligent prayer warriors. We are to do battle through prayer on behalf of our precious children. Pray for their spiritual growth into a man or woman after God’s own heart as your calling, your mission assignment from God.

Commit to doing your part
and trust God to do His! 
~ Elizabeth George ~

For those who do not have children, reach out to children or young women who need a mother's influence in your circle of family and friends.  One can always pray for them if nothing else. 



This post is linked to:
A Sheltering Tree, Monday's Musings, Word Art Wednesday, Hearts 4 Home, Encourage One Another,  Hope in Every Season, Free Pretty Things for You,