Power of mother’s prayer
Monica, the mother of St. Augustine, was born into a moderately wealthy and Christian family by about 331 AD in North Africa. She grew up in a Christian atmosphere. The exemplary life and the teaching of an old Christian maidservant stabilised her faith in the Lord. She married Patricius, who was not a Christian, at an early age. He lived in sin and rejected Christ. But Monica prayed for his conversion for many years. Her heart’s desire was that all her relatives should accept Christ as Lord and Saviour. To win her husband, Monica started showing Christ in her conduct as per the Scriptural teaching in 1 Peter 3. Soon her mother-in-law accepted Christ touched by Monica’s conduct, meekness and prayer. But it took many years of prayer for the conversion of Patricius. He became a Christian only towards the very end of his life.
Monica prayed not only for her family members but also for all her non-Christian relatives. She also began to bring up her children in the fear of the Lord and she prayed specially for the salvation of her favourite son Augustine. She took steps to offer excellent education to him. But when Augustine went to Italy for higher studies, he was carried away by the philosophies and the attractions of the world and the flesh. When Monica learnt that her son was living in sin, she fervently prayed for his conversion.
During this time, her husband died and she went to live with Augustine in Italy. They lived in Milan and they attended the church pastored by Ambrose. Augustine liked the sermons of Ambrose and wanted to follow Christ. He was torn between the attractions of the world and Christ. He was enslaved by sin and tried to find a solution to the problem of sin. He tried to live a holy life but found that he had no strength to overcome them.
He went through a time of deep struggle. So he went to a garden in Milan and started crying thinking of his terrible sinful life. When he was passing through a great struggle, he heard a small child telling him, “Take and read. Take and read. Take and read.” He had the Book of Romans at that time with him. So he opened the book of Romans and started reading from chapter 13. The Lord convicted him of his sins and he put his trust in the Lord on that day. His life was completely changed and he became a new creature because of the wonderful change that the Lord brought in his life.
The fervent prayer of Monica changed the life of Augustine. Monica died at the age of 56 in 387.Augustine was 33 years old at that time. He always remembered the prayer life of his mother. About her prayer life, St. Augustine wrote in Confessions, “now gone from my sight, who for years had wept over me, that I might live in your [God’s] sight.” Monica had the privilege of seeing her prayer answered before her death in the conversion of her wayward son Augustine and her non-Christian husband Patricius. Monica’s prayer brought St. Augustine to the Lord who made a significant influence over the centuries both among the Roman Catholics and the reformers. His life and writing influenced great men of God like Martin Luther and Calvin in reforming, purifying, and strengthening the church. Do we have such praying mothers who weep and pray without ceasing for the conversion of their children who can in turn influence the history of the world? Do you claim the promise given in Acts 16:31 (Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”) for the salvation of your dear and near ones?
(Taken from True Discipleship, Jan-Feb 2001