Soccer mom. Dance mom. Football mom. Pageant mom. Baseball mom. Helicopter mom. PTO mom. There are so many stereotypical “mom types” in the world that we always hear about, but what about the moms that take the time to invest in their child’s life in a different way?

I’ve been blessed enough to have a mom who poured Jesus into my life and over me in prayer and for that I am forever grateful. She didn’t just start praying for me once I was here on Earth, either. My mom lost a baby before she got pregnant with me, so I was covered in prayers before my first cells even existed. Then, when she found out she was going to finally be a momma, the doctors basically told her there was no hope for me and that she should “get this pregnancy over with” and try again, but she was determined to have me here with her.

“For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition that I made to him.”
1 Samuel 1:27 (ESV).

I was covered with her prayers and the prayers of others through her whole pregnancy. I am very thankful for a momma who believed in the power of prayer simply for the fact that I’m here now to write this.

When I was around 5, I remember having an irrational fear of my house catching on fire (no, it hadn’t happened before, but sometimes kids just have unwarranted fears). I remember crying and telling her this, and I remember her asking what would make me not be afraid. I told her that keeping a cup or bottle of water in each room would make me feel better, but she said she had a better idea. She found a bunch of Scripture that talked about God taking our fears and read them with me daily until I had them memorized; I still remember most of them to this day (15+ years later). She taught me to take my fears to Jesus and prayed these verses with me every night, and I’m sure she prayed for me, too, on her own, and I just wasn’t aware.

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV)

I’m so grateful for a mom who taught me to pray and still covered me with her prayers.

Now I am 20 years old working as a young adult minister at a local church. One of my “assignments” for my job was to recruit a prayer warrior team of 3-4 people who I knew would constantly lift me and my ministry up in prayer, and of course the first person I asked was the one I knew would help me fight all my battles on her knees before I even had to ask.

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”
Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV)

Having a mom who “Looks…to the interests of others” is the biggest blessing I could ever ask for myself, my students, and everything I am a part of.

I am thankful for a mom who not only taught me about Jesus, but showed Him to me daily. She made sure I knew the importance of running to Him and she still models that for me. Even though I’m technically the one in ministry, I am so thankful for a mom who still ministers to me.

I don’t know if being a mom is something God has in the future for me, but if it is, I’m so glad I had a praying momma to set the precedent for me.