Mama Bear Prayers
This post was originally written in 2014 and is shared here as part of The Joy Journal archive. It reflects a season of early motherhood and learning to trust God through prayer.
I know I can’t protect my children from everything, nor would I want to. Some of the most important growth in life comes through trials. And yet, there is something deeply wired into my mama DNA. I’m not sure what to call it, but I can describe it like this:
If you mess with my cubs, this Mama Bear is coming for you.
One night, I woke up from a deep, zombie-level sleep and couldn’t fall back asleep. I checked on the kids who were home. They were sleeping peacefully, completely unaware of the drama unfolding in my head. My other son was at a friend’s house for a sleepover.
And suddenly, panic set in.
A full-blown battle started raging in my thoughts, and I immediately began praying hard for my kids’ protection. Should I text my friend in the middle of the night to check on my son? What will she think of me? What if I don’t text and something has happened? I would never forgive myself for ignoring that gut feeling.
Sleep was not happening. So I picked up my phone, broke all late-night texting etiquette, and sent the message.
I’m so sorry for the late text, but I woke up with a panic in my heart. Is he okay? I hesitated to text, but I can’t shake this mama feeling. Forgive me if I wake you. I know you’ll understand.
Send.
Wait.
Pray.
You know those three little dots that pop up when someone is typing back? I have never loved those dots more in my life. Bless my friend. She responded quickly. My boy was sleeping, safe and sound. That should have been enough for me to finally relax and go back to sleep. But I was meant to hear more.
She wrote back with words I will never forget:
Your prayers transcend time and space. They are powerful in the spiritual world. Obedience is what God looks for. I had this picture of you fully armored, protecting even his dreams with your prayers.
The wrestling that happened before I sent that text felt bigger than overprotective worry. It felt like a battle I couldn’t see. And when I followed that gut instinct, I wasn’t lacking faith. I was actually leaning fully into it. Prayer was the only thing I had in the middle of the night, and I used it.
So, fellow Mama Bears, don’t ignore that tug in your heart. That deep gut feeling. That quiet nudge, even in the wee hours of the morning. It’s a sacred connection between a mother and the God of the universe.
We are entrusted with these precious children to love, protect, and fight for. So if that means looking a little intense or overly cautious at times, so be it. Put your paws up. Pray over your kids every day. Pray hard. Pray boldly.
Pray your face off, warriors.
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God…”
—Ephesians 6:12–13
