THE VALUE OF A PRAYING MOTHER
BY ISABEL C. BYRUM
GOSPEL TRUMPET COMPANY
First Printing 1911
PREFACE.
This book has a purpose: it is sent forth as precious seed, with the
prayer that it will fall into "good soil" in many hearts and bring forth
an hundredfold.
All parents with natural affection desire the best things for their
children. Such fathers and mothers have high hopes that from their home
will go forth noble men and women--yes, even heroes. Many fail to
realize the attainment of this ideal in their children, because of a
lack of the knowledge necessary to bring about the desired development
in the child-life.
The following pages were written with the fervent hope that they would,
at least in some measure, be a help in developing the young lives
entrusted to your care. If your harvest-time is past; if your children
have grown up and have left the old home, you may be able to help some
one who still has little ones to train.
One object in relating actual experiences was that the reader might be
guided in the application of those principles of child-training which,
if merely stated in the abstract, might be hard to understand and
difficult of application. The principles herein stated are not mere
theories, but they have the commendation of having stood the test of
use. Two other objects of this simple story of home life are that the
thoughtful mother may get a view of the effects of certain extreme
environments on the child-life and, by observing the substantial results
accomplished by a praying mother, she may discover the secret of
success.
The incidents of this little home story are all true, even to minute
details, as far as memory serves one of the actors in this drama of home
life after the lapse of many years; but as most of the principal
characters are still living, the correct names have, for the most part,
been withheld. Should one of your children ask, "Mama, who was Bessie
Worthington?" you can truthfully answer, "She was a little girl who
lived in Michigan; and she and her papa and mama are still living."
If, by reading this little book, any mother shall see wherein she can
improve upon her past teaching, and thus be able to do more for the
spiritual and moral well-being of her children, the writer will feel
amply rewarded. May the blessing of God attend it as it goes forth.
Yours in Him,
Isabel C. Byrum.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
Two Scenes
CHAPTER II.
A Praying Mother
CHAPTER III.
Early Training
CHAPTER IV.
God's Care
CHAPTER V.
Consecration
CHAPTER VI.
Conscience
CHAPTER VII.
A Downward Step
CHAPTER VIII.
A Wise Decision
CHAPTER IX.
Self-Control
CHAPTER X.
Parental Control
CHAPTER XI.
Christian Experience
CHAPTER XII.
The Beautiful Secret
CHAPTER XIII.
Blessing and Trial
CHAPTER XIV.
The Surprise Party
CHAPTER XV.
Leroy's Healing
CHAPTER XVI.
Explaining the Divine Life
CHAPTER XVII.
Temptations
CHAPTER XVIII.
Answers to Prayer
CHAPTER XIX.
Lost in the Woods
CHAPTER XX.
Novel-Reading
CHAPTER XXI.
Glad Tidings
CHAPTER XXII.
The Meetings
CHAPTER XXIII.
Bessie Sees Her Duty
CHAPTER XXIV.
Reverie
CHAPTER XXV.
A Plea to Mothers
CHAPTER XXVI.
Parental Duty
CHAPTER XXVII.
Useful Hints
THE VALUE OF A PRAYING MOTHER
CHAPTER I.
TWO SCENES.
How delightful to step into the home where God is counselor of both
parent and child! How blessed the companionship in such a home! There
God counsels in sweet, tender tones. He teaches his will and gives the
needed wisdom. God is man's truest and best teacher. James says, "If any
of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally
... and it shall be given him." Be the home ever so beautiful, if it is
not a house of prayer, it is not a place of true happiness. Parents
should often commune with the Lord; especially the mother, with her many
cares and perplexities, if she would do justice to the little ones
entrusted to her care.
A beautiful picture now comes to my mind--a picture of an ideal mother
of olden time. She dwelt in Ramah of Palestine. Her lonely home nestled
among the lonely hills. She loved to commune with the Lord, for deep in
her bosom she carried a sorrow that only he could help her to bear. Her
home lacked that sweet sunlight which innocent childhood brings. She
longed and prayed for a little life to guide and direct in the ways of
the Lord.
Once every year she went with her husband to Shiloh, where sacrifices
were offered, and there publicly worshiped the Lord. When at the house
of the Lord one day, she prayed long and earnestly that God would grant
the desire of her heart. "O Lord of hosts," she prayed, "if thou wilt
indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and
not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man
child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and
there shall no razor come upon his head."
A scene like this must have been rare even to the priest of God; for he
mistook this sad woman for one drunken with wine. She begged him not to
look upon her as such. When the man of God saw by her modest, earnest
words that she was not drunken as he had supposed, he changed his
reproof into a blessing. "Go in peace," he said, "and the God of Israel
grant thy petition that thou hast asked of him." With perfect confidence
that God had heard and answered prayer, the woman arose and returned
with her husband to their home in Ramah.
The next year she did not go up to Shiloh; for God had granted her
petition and had given her a little son. Her husband was willing for her
to remain at home, but he cautioned her not to forget her promise to the
Lord. He feared, perhaps, that the mother might become so attached to
her child that she would be unwilling to part with him as she had
promised. His warning was unnecessary.
As soon as Samuel (for this is what the mother named her son) was old
enough to be useful, she took him to the house of God and presented him
to the Lord. It must have sounded to the aged priest (who soon would
have to cease his work upon earth) like a voice from heaven, when the
happy mother, pointing to her child, said: "For this child I prayed; and
the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him: therefore also
I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to
the Lord."
Again the mother prays; this time not in sorrow, but from a heart filled
with thanksgiving. She feels no regret because of her vow. Her child
became a great blessing to many people, and the Lord gave her other sons
and daughters to cheer her heart.
By reading the story we find that "the child Samuel grew and was in
favor both with the Lord and also with men." Why was this? In answer to
his devoted mother's prayer, the Holy Spirit hovered over that child,
shielding him from the cruel darts and arrows of the enemy. He had been
taught the ways of the Lord from his cradle and his life was fully
consecrated to God.
A different scene comes before me now--a scene that brings a shudder.
Upon a ship sailing along the shores of France were a man and his wife
on their way to join a band of villainous people in India. Being on a
secret mission, they traveled slowly and carefully. It was a tedious and
dangerous journey. One stormy day, on the Bay of Biscay, a child was
born to them.
No loving welcome from the lips of a prayerful parent awaited this poor
little innocent child; instead, curses were his portion, and, by the
order of his mother, he was cast aside in a pile of rubbish to die. By
chance the father passed that way and, finding his child's poor little
perishing form, picked it up, took it to his wife, and commanded her to
see that it was cared for.
As the child grew and developed in this atmosphere of sin and
degradation, is it strange that he partook of his parents' nature and
developed even worse habits than they? Unless the proper home influence
is thrown around a child, he can not help suffering from the inherited
sins of his parents.
When this child became a man, he knew nothing of virtue and honesty.
His life was enveloped in a shroud of darkest crimes. Leaving India, he
went to Europe and from there sailed to America. Each year found him
better acquainted with court proceedings and prison walls. It was a
common thing for him to break into a man's house and steal every
valuable that he could find.
I recently met this man and heard from his own lips the dark story of
his life. As he was relating an account of a desperate burglary, I asked
him what he would have done if the man of the house had awakened.
"Please do not ask me." he answered. "I was always armed, and a man's
life was no more to me than a dog's. There are scenes that I can not, I
dare not, recall, for I am a changed man now."
Thank God, he is a changed man. He had not been too vile for God to
find. Jesus had cleansed his heart from all desire to do evil. Having
confessed his crimes and given himself up to be punished, he had been
sent to prison, but because of good behavior had been soon pardoned. He
is now spending his life among the lower class, whom he understands so
well and pities so much, trying to show them the way of salvation.
Note the atmosphere that surrounded the cradle of each of the babes of
whom we have been speaking. In the first home we find prayer, love,
hope, and tenderness; in the last, sin, hatred, crime, and villainy. Oh
that mothers everywhere would take warning! If only these two pictures
could be framed and hung in the recesses of every mother's heart where
they might teach their silent lesson! If only mothers might see how
powerful for good or evil is their influence; how the affections and the
mental powers may be moulded by prayer and maternal love, and how the
groundwork for the future of the child may be laid in its early
training!
A sensible mother has a charm and wields an influence that takes a fast
hold on the hearts of those who are dear to her. The kindly sympathy of
youth, the deep affection of manhood, can be traced to influences that
began at mother's knee.
What true, prayerful mother does not feel as her child closely nestles
to her bosom that she is invested with a divine, mysterious power, an
influence which she can not understand? Then it is that she sees her
imperfections and longs for wisdom to know how to guide her child. God
alone can supply that understanding. She is her child's book of wisdom,
love, and, beauty, but she should be of God's writing.