A Mother’s Daily Petition

Her day begins before the waking of the sun.
As her children sleep peacefully upon their beds, she retreats to her place of refuge to plead for grace and mercy for the upcoming day.
She knows this position of ministry is too difficult for her to face alone and that schedules and willpower alone will cause her to be a failure. She must seek wisdom, strength, and power from her Beloved Savior Who lives to intercede on her behalf. And so begins the prayer of a mother….

Another day-
Strength, Lord…
To wash dishes, clothes, floors, sticky hands, and dirty faces.
To fill hungry bellies with nutritious and delicious food.
To fill hungry souls the Living Bread of Your Word.
To wear a smile, knowing that much work means many blessings.
To act, talk, and respond the same inside of my home as I would if outside the home.
To do Your work faithfully, joyously, courageously, thoroughly, honestly, and gratefully as “unto the Lord.”

Another day-
Patience, Longsuffering Lord…
To remember mercy when the day is filled with whines and tantrums, considering if the children are just repeating what they see me do.
To read the same book again and again, to teach the same lesson with enthusiasm and not sarcasm.
To encourage, to love, to cherish, to teach.
To remember making a mess =making memories.
To do the mundane tasks of motherhood and making a home with a song in my heart and praise on my lips. Its not only what I do that matters, but the motive of my heart that You see.

Another day-
Eternal vision, Lord…
To see myself not as a housewife, but a homemaker.
To view my home as the most important sphere of influence.
To see past the temporary to the eternal soul that will never die when looking at my children or those you call me to minister to.
To see myself not only as a diaper changer, but a world changer, one child at a time.
To remember that I can’t honor You if I don’t honor my husband.
To see that being faithful begins with being faithful right now in this very moment or task.
To see every annoyance, every unforeseen obstacle, every interruption as divine appointments allowed by Your loving hand with the purpose of conforming me to Thy Image.

Another day… to die to self, to love others, to do all for the Glory of God! And so I begin this day with Your strength, patience, and longsuffering, remembering that how I live today will echo throughout eternity. Teach me Thy way, O Lord. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.


Adapted from “Petitioning” published in the devotional called “Tea Leaves”. Martha Stoltzfus Barkman.
(Mrs. Ervin)
“Be not weary mother, for in time you’ll reap, For now is time to plant and plow, no time to be asleep. “