Times of Refreshing for Mums Sample by Our Daily Bread Ministries

Times of Refreshing for Mums

Devotions from Our Daily Bread

Times of Refreshing for Mums

Devotions from Our Daily Bread

Writers: Ang Hwee Yen, Dave Branon (DB), Henry G. Bosch (HB), Xochitl Dixon (XD), David Egner (DE), Kirsten Holmberg (KH), Sophia Huang, Arthur Jackson (AJ), Lisa Samra (LS), Joanie Yoder (JY)

Designer: Mary Tham

Compiled by: Chia Poh Fang and Wendy Wong

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The French author Victor Hugo once said, "A mother's arms are made of tenderness and children sleep soundly in them." The poet Dante also said, "A mother’s voice is the most beautiful sound in the world."

In the Bible, the prophet Samuel lived away from his parents from a young age to serve God in the tabernacle, because he had a prayerful mother who dedicated him to the Lord. Timothy had a sincere faith in God because he was deeply influenced by his mother, Eunice, and his grandmother, Lois (2 Timothy 1:5 NIV).

In everyone's life, the mother plays a pivotal role; she is also an irreplaceable pillar in the family. We thank God for creating mothers and, through this noble calling, reflecting His acceptance and unconditional love for us.

However, we also recognize that every woman who is a mother must embark on a unique journey, facing many unseen hardships and challenges, both bitter and sweet. So, to all mothers, we want to say: "Thank you for all that you have done!" On this Mother's Day, we have prepared a special gift for every mother—a special edition devotional designed to help mothers draw closer to God and be nourished spiritually.

Open this little booklet and let it invite you to set aside a quiet time to spend with the Lord and for your personal reflections amidst the busyness of daily life. Find a quiet corner, open the Bible, and savour God's Word. Let the stories, prayers, and the journeys of other mothers in it help you encounter the Lord. Tap into the wellspring of spiritual growth in Him, and intimately experience the peace and presence of our Heavenly Father.

Lastly, as a tribute to all mothers, we want to say:

'You are awesome! Wishing you a Happy Mother's Day!’

A kind-hearted woman gains honour. (Proverbs 11:16)

Our Daily Bread Ministries

Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.

—Proverbs 31:28

my Mum is the besT!

Influence of Godly Mums

Read: Proverbs 31:10, 25–31

Many godly men of the past have been richly blessed by what they learnt from their mothers. Consider biblical characters like Moses, Samuel, and Timothy, who had a strong maternal influence. Or men like Augustine, John Newton, and the zealous Wesley brothers. Their names would probably never have graced the pages of history if it hadn’t been for the godly mothers who raised them in Christ-honouring homes.

Susanna Wesley, the mother of preachers John and Charles, spent an hour each day praying for her 17 children. She also took each child aside for an hour every week to discuss spiritual matters. Here are a few of her training rules: (1) Subdue self-will in a child and thus work together with God to save his soul. (2) Teach him to pray as soon as he can speak. (3) Give him nothing he cries for and only what is good for him if he asks for it politely. (4) To prevent lying, punish no fault that is freely confessed, but never allow a rebellious, sinful act to go unchecked. (5) Commend and reward good behaviour. (6) Strictly observe all promises you have made to your child.

Godly mothers can change the world! —HB

Lord, apart from You, I can do nothing. Help me to be a godly influence in my children’s lives.

Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them.

—Matthew 19:13

A Prayer Challenge

Read: Matthew 19:13–15

Ayoung mother once said, “I wish I could wrap my children in bubble wrap to protect them from the big, bad world outside.”

Author Stormie Omartian understands how that mother feels. In her book The Power of a Praying Parent, she writes, “One day I cried out to God, saying, ‘Lord, this is too much for me. I can’t keep a 24-hours-a-day, moment-by-moment watch on my son. How can I ever have peace?’”

God responded by leading Stormie and her husband to become praying parents. They began to intercede for their son daily, mentioning the details of his life in prayer.

The desire to wrap our children in bubble wrap to protect them is rooted in fear. Wrapping children in prayer, as Jesus did (Matthew 19:13–15), is a powerful alternative. He cares more about our children than we do, so we can release them into His hands by praying for them. As we pray, He will give us the peace we long for (Philippians 4:6–7).

This challenge is for all parents—even those whose children have grown up: Don’t ever stop wrapping your children in prayer! —JY

Heavenly Father, the way You hear and answer my prayers amazes me. Strengthen my faith so that I will not give up praying for my children.

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

—Psalm 91:1

The “Lowly” Call of Motherhood from the Most High

BY SOPHIA HUANG

When I was a little girl, I had many dreams. One was to be an author, but even from an early age, I really wanted to be a mother. By God’s grace, both dreams came to pass.

I was working as a copyeditor, and was planning for my next trip across the globe to attend a conference when I discovered I was pregnant with my first child. It was the first time I had to choose between career and child when I decided to cancel the trip on the doctor’s advice, to ensure the safety of my unborn baby.

So it was natural that after her birth, I started to think about whether I should cut back on work to spend more time with her. What if I missed her first step, her first word? Should I return to work full-time, or be a stay-home mother? Would I be wasting my education? How would we cope financially?

Redeeming the Time

As I struggled with these thoughts, a fierce debate raged within me. During my maternity leave, I heard a still small voice whispering: Redeem the time.

These words reminded me of Ephesians 5:15–16: “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”

I saw this as a clear call to cut back on my work hours and make the most of every opportunity to disciple my child. I felt that God had placed in my heart a burden to raise my children not to be consumed by the culture of the day, but to fulfil God’s purpose for their lives.

Downgrading my career was one of the best decisions of my life.

In faith, I put in a request to my bosses to work parttime. By God’s grace, they gave me the green light. I went on to have two more children, and my workload actually decreased with each round of maternity leave—yet I still have a job today, working a few hours from home! Ask any Singaporean mother and you will know how rare such work arrangements are.

On difficult days, however, I’ve found myself tempted to throw in the towel and return to full-time work. I sacrificed my career, status, the bulk of my pay, getting to dress up, proper adult conversation . . . all for what I saw as the lowly call of motherhood.

Yet, in return, I’ve caught every one of my children’s milestones. My kids know my expectations. And if they are well behaved, it’s probably because I’ve been able to spend more time disciplining and moulding them.

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