God Made Mothers: Practical Advice for Mothers

God Made Mothers: Practical Advice for Mothers by Annie Zac Poonen

Dear Mothers,

I have written this book mainly to answer the questions that many mothers have asked me during past years. It has been written for mothers who feel a need for spiritual help and encouragement.

For 30 years, God has given me grace as the wife of a servant of the Lord. My husband was often away from home, preaching the gospel. Because of his uncompromising stand for the Lord, our family was a constant target of Satan’s attacks. Today, we can testify that every attack of Satan was overcome – by God’s grace alone. I am saying that only to encourage you to believe that God will do the same for you too.

God has also given me grace to be the mother of four sons – all of whom are grown up now. By the mercy of God alone, they have received Jesus as their Lord and Saviour and are following the Lord today.

I am not writing as an expert, but as one who has struggled, failed, got up and pressed on in the race – and discovered in the hard places of life that God is indeed “a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).

As a medical doctor, I have also added some practical advice at the end of the book.

The greatest thing you can do for your children is to lead them to God so that they receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour. This will ensure that you and your children spend eternity together.

You must lead your children to salvation when they are still young. Once they are older, they may not respond as readily as at an earlier age.

A child wants its mother close to it at night. So when you tuck your children in bed, don’t be in a hurry to go away. Spend a few minutes with each of them individually, or with all of them together.

Talk to them about the Lord. Children are most responsive to spiritual things at bedtime.

Sing a hymn to them like “Just as I am without one plea….O Lamb of God I come”, for example. Then tell them a short story, like one of the parables that Jesus spoke, or a story from some “Bedtime Storybook”.

Then pray with them, something like this:

“Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for this day and for all the ways in which You blessed me today with food and health and loving parents and brothers and sisters and many other good gifts. Please forgive me all my sins and cleanse my heart with the blood You shed for me on Calvary’s cross. Come into my heart, Lord Jesus, and make me Your child from today. Thank You for hearing me. Amen”.

Children who grow up in God-fearing homes may pray such a prayer many times. But one of those times, it will be from their hearts, with a sense of their own need, and then they will make contact with God. Thereafter they will no longer be just your children, but children of God as well. That will be your greatest joy.