A Mother’s Prayer

Written by Katie Blackburn

Heavenly Father,

How amazing it is to remember that Your plan for motherhood has always been good.

Before You spoke the world into motion, before the day was separated from the night

and the land distinguished from the ocean,

as You breathed life into man, You knew that everyone would need a mom.

 

You fashioned both our bodies and our hearts to carry the weight of motherhood.

Whether that’s the growing belly we instinctively rest our hands on,

or the arms of a mother waiting for her child from another woman,

You equipped us to carry so much—and yet, we were never meant to carry it alone.

 

Because we cannot carry the anxiety, 

from the baby who will not sleep to the teenager who has not come home.

 

We cannot carry the frustration, 

of the behavior we are unable to change,

and the way it might reveal more about our own sin than we are comfortable admitting.

 

We cannot carry the guilt, 

of not feeling like we have done enough, or knowing we did it wrong.

 

And we cannot, for all of our efforts, carry the weight of their faith in You. 

But God, what a grace it is that You do not need us to live in the self-confidence of our own strength.

Replace the paralyzing focus on our inabilities with the discovery of Your goodness,

because it is Your goodness alone that will replace our fear. 

 

Make us not only professors but examples of the gospel to our children, 

displaying to them in every meltdown, 

every argument, 

and every season 

it’s hope and beauty.

 

Help us to remember that we are the mothers our children need

and that our rest in Christ’s work on the cross is what we need to love them best.

 

Thank You for making us mothers, God. 

Every day, help us to remember

that You are good,

we cannot do motherhood alone,

and that You never asked us to. 

Amen.

. . . . . . . . . .

Katie Blackburn lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband Alex and their six little ones, one of whom came to them through foster care. She is saved by grace and runs on cold brew coffee and quiet mornings at her desk. You can read more of her writing on faith, motherhood, special needs, and a good, good God at katiemblackburn.com.