Moms in Prayer: Standing in the Gap for Your Children

by Fern Nichols, Janet Kobobel Grant (Primary Contributor)

What principles enabled the concerned mom of two junior high school students to move from deciding she needed to pray for her kids at school to becoming the founder of a worldwide prayer movement called Moms In Prayer International? Fern Nichols is a passionate believer in the power of prayer. She knows that a regular habit of prayer can change things--can bring home wayward children, heal broken marriages, and provide answers to desperate situations. Prayer can also bring a new kind of peace and contentment no matter what hardships or disappointments we face. But most important, Fern knows that through prayer we can experience, firsthand, an ever-increasing intimacy with God. In Moms In Prayer , Fern Nichols reveals how she teaches women to pray in a way that changes their lives and the lives of those they love. She teaches the principles and practices that will not only revolutionize the way people think about prayer, but the way they do pray, leading them into a deeper intimacy with Jesus, who is always interceding on our behalf. Sparkling with real-life stories of God at work in the lives of praying moms, Fern introduces us to the four prayers that are the foundation of the Moms In Prayer approach to What transforms these well-known elements of prayer into such a powerful force in Moms In Prayer International? Fern Nichols introduces a way of praying that energizes, creates an appetite for intimacy with God, overcomes spiritual paralysis, eliminates fear, unveils the heart and character of God, and transforms the pray-er's life and perspective. She teaches how to pray effectively with others, how to prepare for the spiritual battles that swirl when prayer is on the move, how to persist in prayer in the face of hopelessness and despair, and how to use Scripture for effective prayer. God hears. God acts. God moves. God works.

Genres: Prayer, Parenting, Christian, Nonfiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published September 3, 2013

Reviews

[Linda Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is, bar none, the best book on prayer I've read thus far. It speaks to young women with children, or even old women with children and grandchildren. It was written by the founder of an international group that establishes local prayer meeting for mothers: Moms in Prayer (.org) ... a great organization that is helping mothers around the world learn to pray for their children and the schools nearby.

The meetings are structured - a glance through their website would make that apparent - but the book clearly explains four parts of prayer used in each meeting: praise, confession, thanksgiving, and intercession. The intercessory prayer is done with one-accord praying: everyone in the group praying for one person or issue, praying together... until eventually someone is moved to move onto another person or issue. It is apparently very effective!

The book is full of little stories about parents, their children, and answers to prayer. It is very inspirational and it makes me want to pray! I very much recommend this book.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was a bit too much, “ God spoke to me…” for me to give it five stars, but I loved how this book focused on the long game of praying for our kids and how to cover all aspects of their life in pray and to ask others to cover them in prayer as well. I also appreciate the examples of praying scripture for our kids. That is not a practice I have done much, but I can see the value in it.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book talks a lot about the Mom's in Prayer prayer groups across the world, but has so many great ways to specifically pray for our children. It is going to be a great resource for me to be able to go back upon for many years to come.

[Jenessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book!

[Natalia Vasquez · Rating 1 out of 5]

This wasn’t exactly an apologetic book on why moms should prayer for their children or “standing in the gap” as the book states. This is more of a generalized testimony book. It was a compilation of different mom’s real life testimonies of instances when they prayed for their children. I wished it had more arguments of why it is necessary to be praying for our children’s souls and daily lives. I did appreciate the guide in the back of the book with different prayer targets and strategies. Overall, disappointing but I could see myself flipping through the prayer targets.

[Melanie Tillman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book inspired me and got me excited not only about praying for my own kids but also about joining with other moms in my church to pray. I have already talked to some moms about going through this book together.

[Laura Langley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Authors Fern Nichols and Janet Kobobel Grant give mothers practical guidance for standing in the gap for their children in their new book, Moms in Prayer, published by Zondervan. They begin by helping moms understand just how important their job is as prayer warrior for their children. They say, "The power of one praying life is of great value. Don't quit. Your prayer song can only be sung by you."

The authors' warm, conversational, and friendly tone leaves even the most ill-equipped feeling moms knowing that they can pray for their children. Filled with biblical prayer principles, the book also offers encouraging, real-life stories from praying moms. And by the end of the book, moms feel equipped and ready to pray -- for they know their children better than anyone and can uniquely, specifically, and scripturally pray for their kids.

In the book, Nichols and Grant outline four steps of prayer that help moms focus their prayers and pray effectively: praising God, confessing to God, giving thanks to God, and then interceding before the Father. The authors show how this natural flow positions us for effective prayer.

Perhaps the parts I most appreciate about the book are the practical "Let's Pray" sections sprinkled throughout the book showing moms how to take and pray -- take what they're learning and pray it for their kids. I like it because concepts and principles do no good unless we put them into practice, and the authors show you exactly how to do that.

This is one I'll keep handy as I pray daily for my kids, and a resource I'll often us as I make notecards with verses to pray over my children, their schools and their friends.

* Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for this review. However, the opinions expressed are my own.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definitely a book that I will be reading again. It was a very practical book that shares the nuts and bolts of developing a deeper prayer life. Because it also serves to introduce and explain the ministry of Moms in Prayer, much of it centers on the importance of praying together with other mothers for our children. I have been both inspired and also equipped to deepen my faith and my prayer life. I would recommend to to all Christian mothers and grandmothers.

[JENNIFER COOK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book describing the importance of prayer. Fern describes why she started Moms in Prayer (previously Moms in Touch). She also relates sample stories from answered prayers within groups. It describes how to pray and why. I enjoyed this book very much and recommend it to Christian moms.

[Debi Grenseman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Practical help for praying scripturally and powerfully for your children.