When You Lift Their Names – Part 1
Scripture:
“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” — 3 John 1:4 (NIV)
A ministry wife worries. I know we are not supposed to worry, but we can over-spiritualize if you would like and call it “we are very concerned” about our kids growing up in a glass house. When a ministry wife has children, they can be overexposed from birth while you live in a ministry home – this is either a really good thing or a hard thing. Truthfully, it’s a mixed bag of blessings and hardships. My girls were loved, loved, loved at the church where we served and they were born. Even while the ministry itself almost killed Preston and me – the church LOVED my girls so well. I was, and I still am, so grateful for the people who loved them well during this season of their lives.
There’s a special kind of prayer that only a mother knows—the aching, tear-stained, whispered kind. As a ministry mom, you carry not only the burdens of the church but also the eternal hopes and daily concerns for your children. You pray for their hearts, friendships, faith, and future. You long for them to love Jesus—not just because they were raised in church, but because they know Him personally.
In the quiet moments, after the sanctuary is empty and the kids are asleep, you may find yourself asking: Are they listening? Are they watching? Have I protected them enough? Will the church hurt of their parents impact their relationship with the Lord? Am I enough for this? Have I done enough for them? To prepare them? To protect them?
The truth is—you’re not enough. But God is.
Transparently, I failed many times as a mother. I didn’t want to or mean to, but I did. My own journey to freedom and maturity would impact my children. I have had to seek out their forgiveness on numerous things. The best we can do as mothers, especially as ministry mothers, is to own what we need to own. Be honest with your kids when God convicts you of a wrong or when a wrong is pointed out. Do the work spiritually to get right with the Lord and your family so that you clearly teach what grace and mercy look like.
Let’s dismantle the lie of the “perfect ministry wife and mother.” There isn’t one and never will be one.
Your prayers may feel small, but they echo in eternity. Every time you lift your children’s names to the Father, you partner with the Spirit in shaping their lives in ways you cannot see. You are not just raising church kids—you are raising kingdom citizens. And that work begins on your knees.
When you feel powerless to fix, change, or protect—pray. Prayer isn’t the last resort; it’s the frontline of your motherhood and ministry.
Questions for Reflection:
- What burdens are you currently carrying for your children?
- Are there areas where you’ve tried to control rather than pray?
- What promises of God can you pray over your children this week?
Prayer:
Father, thank You for the gift of my children. You know every detail of their lives and every worry in my heart. Teach me to trust You more than I trust my own ability to parent. Help me to pray faithfully, not fearfully. Remind me that You love them even more than I do. Make my prayers a holy offering, a legacy of faith they carry into their future. Amen.
Join me next week:
Are you praying small prayers? Let’s discuss what standing in the gap for your children looks like. Put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20) and understand that the devil hates you, your husband, and your children. He will do anything to stop the Lord’s work, and he will use the destruction of your family to do it. So suit my friend and understand that there is a battle waging for the hearts of your children.
Let’s learn how – not to pray safe prayers. You know the ones: Bless my children. Protect them. These are acceptable and kind prayers. There is nothing wrong with these kinds of prayers, but the battleground you and I find ourselves on is one in which we are not fighting a normal fight. You and your husband are on the front line of the ministry battlefield. You must be ready for battle. Next week, we will talk about praying for your children and how to pray effectively for them.