Our gracious, loving Father,

Thank you for the mothers in our church who love, nurture, and raise their children, pointing them to you. Please giving them strength from above, to love you well as they love they children. May they nurture as you nurture. May they serve their families with gratitude and joy in abundance.

Lord, we ask that you will give each mother in our church deep rest in you.
May they not only find their strength in you, but their rest in you also. Correct our vision of ourselves, that we may rightly remember our dependance on you.

Give them joy and pride in their children, but may Jesus alone be the source of their ultimate joy and only boast.

We grieve with those who are missing their mothers, or are separated from their children—whether by distance, conflict, or death.
We grieve the impact of brokenness, sin and death in our lives and families.
We grieve with those who have had to bury a child, and with those who have been unable to carry their children to term. Comfort those of us grieving today, and surround us with your peace. May we be a comfort to others, as you have been a comfort to us.

We thank you for the women in our Church family who have welcomed children they did not birth into their hearts and homes. Please continue to grant them wisdom, gratitude and joy as they love their adopted children just as you have loved and adopted us as your own children.

We thank you Lord for those who have not birthed their own children but have faithfully nurtured and loved the children of this church through generations—in Sunday School and Youth Group, in quiet encouragement, in their generous provision of morning tea; and those who have come alongside and cared for young mums. Help us to affirm and honour these spiritual mothers you have placed among.

Help us to share the glorious, renewing and eternal hope we have in Jesus with the mothers in our community. We pray for mothers in our community who are struggling to make ends meet, raising children alone, facing or fleeing domestic violence, or battling mental illness, addiction, or despair. May the light of Jesus shine on them, with the promise of deliverance, healing, hope and a future.
We pray for mothers who delight in and nurture their children but do not yet know Jesus—may they come to know the Lord who sees them and loves them. May we be His hands and feet, willing and ready to serve those you have placed around us.

Lord, we thank you for the gift of motherhood that you have given to your creation: a gift that reflects your own mother heart for your people.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.