You’ve probably heard the saying, “The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.” As mothers, we are more than caregivers who patted our babies bums as we rocked them to sleep or tapped their backs for just one burp after 30 ml of breast milk (sometimes tapping too hard, thinking that the harder we tapped, the quicker the burp would come).
We are more than that.
We are kingdom shapers, entrusted with the unique task of raising the next generation of Christ’s warriors. And, in today’s world – where values are shifting like New York traffic – this our calling has never been more urgent, or more important.
TRAINING BEGINS AT HOME
Just yesterday, I watched this disturbing movie about a young child who caused fatal harm to his classmate. As I observed the children in that movie, it was painful to watch how damaged most of them were – from having access to information they were too young for, to being outrightly sassy, it was very painful for me to watch as a mother. The children had access to what, in my country, we would term an excellent education, but they were laden with problems. Huge problems. Problems which culminated in murder of a young child!
In my country, we take education seriously. People want to send their children to the best schools, enroll them in extra lessons, and ensure they can recite their times tables before they lose their first tooth. Sending your children to the best schools where they learn how to do everything (even develop the next Spaceship) is amazing. But, what about their spiritual training?
The Bible says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). If we are serious about raising kingdom warriors, then we must take their spiritual training very seriously. This doesn’t mean long sermons at home (you know these children and how quickly they can zone out), but simple, daily deposits of faith (emphasis on daily):

  • Morning Declarations: Speak life over them before they leave for school. Bless them. “You are the light of the world. You stand for what is right and hate what God hates etc…”
  • Everyday Teachings: Use everyday moments to teach godly values. A hot homemade bowl of rice can turn into a lesson on gratitude. Recently, I spent time with some family friends. When it was the turn of their children to pray before we all went to bed, they said “thank you for the privilege of…” Teach them to be grateful, teach them they are privileged to have what they have. When they realize everything they have is a privilege, they will be less prone to bully those who have none.
  • Bedtime Prayers: Let the last thing they hear at night be a reminder of God’s love. In my house, for example, we have this culture where we leave gospel songs, or scripture playing through the night for the children. It all adds up.

TEACH THEM TO STAND FIRM
Children today are facing battles we never imagined. Social media, peer pressure, and a culture that often mocks faith can make them question everything they’ve been taught. Our job as mothers? Equip them with the Word. Make them see the word as the most important thing to believe.

  • Help them memorize scripture – Not just for recitation in Sunday school, but for real-life situations. A child who knows “I can do all things through Christ” (Philippians 4:13) will approach exams differently.
  • Model faith in action – They are watching you. When there’s a financial challenge, do you panic, or do you pray? When someone offends you, do you retaliate, or do you show grace? What about road rage? Or how you insult talk to the nanny/driver. Our examples speak louder than a thousand sermons.

THE POWER OF A PRAYING MOTHER
Finally, many battles are won on our knees.
Pray over your children – call them by name.
Speak into their future. The words you speak will be waiting for them even when they leave home and start living on their own.
The enemy is not playing, so neither should we.
Declare that they will walk in righteousness and that no evil plan will prosper against them, that they will be bold for Christ.
Who says you can’t decide in the place of prayer who they will marry in 20 years? Bank those prayers now, mama. They will be stored for their future.
A MOTHER’S REWARD
Raising godly children isn’t always easy.
The best of us have days when we wonder if we even know what we are doing. This motherhood thing did not come with a manual. Some of us were still babies when we had our babies!
But remember this: the seeds you are planting now will bear fruit in due season.
One day, you will look at your grown-up child, standing firm in faith, and you will know without an iota of doubt that every prayer, every sacrifice, every moment you spent with them was worth it.
So, dear mama, keep building, keep praying, and keep raising warriors for Christ. The future of the kingdom is in our hands. God trusts us, we will not fail. Stay committed to raising warriors for Christ!