Busy moms need prayer, but they also need to pray.
A new book, released April 2, and called “Honest Prayers for Mama Bears” will help moms and others do that.
Honest Prayers was written by Hillary Morgan Ferrer, founder and president of Mama Bear Apologetics, and Julie Loos, member of Fellowship of Wildwood, Missouri, and member of the Missouri Baptist Convention’s Apologetics Network.
“When we started this book,” Loos said, “we wanted to capture what was on a mom’s heart. I’m passionate about prayer and we wanted to establish a resource to help others with prayer.”
Network of prayer moms
Loos has more than 20 years in prayer ministry, serving with Moms in Prayer and the Collegiate Day of Prayer. She has built a strong network of prayer moms through those ministries as well as others. Ferrer has a large network of moms with Mama Bear Apologetics.
“We reached out to our core team and then beyond to find out what was on the hearts of moms,” Loos said. “We asked them to write prayers about what they honestly wanted to take before God. We had a great response.”
“We don’t want moms to worry about eloquence,” Loos said, “we want them to share honest feelings and fears.”
Facing challenging issues
Ryan Bowman, lead pastor of Fellowship of Wildwood, has served as Loos’ pastor for several years. “I have witnessed firsthand Julie’s unique ability to pray very specifically,” he said, “about the challenging issues facing our culture today. It is not often that an apologetics resource can both expand one’s understanding of these critical issues while at the same time equipping the reader to pray fervently about them.”
Loos and Ferrer were intentional about the organization of the book. The book begins with a section on “Selfless Prayers for Self” and moves through the various stages of life and family. Section 10 is called, “Prayers You Pray You Never Have to Pray.”
“Sometimes the words don’t come,” Loos continued. “We struggle to express what is on our hearts and we are desperate to cry out to God. This book is designed to be a tool to use to begin those prayers.”
Bowman highlighted the need for prayer.
Changing cultural landscape
“It is important that the church recognize the changing cultural landscape, but it is even more important that the church come before the Lord to find strength and wisdom to stand firm,” Bowman said. “It is especially vital that our children are upheld in prayer as they find themselves in the crosshairs of these challenging topics and will benefit from strategic prayers on their behalf.”
Bowman noted, “I’m grateful to Julie Loos and Hillary Morgan Ferrer for providing this unique resource that equips parents for this vital task.”
Call to action
Loos is looking into the future of prayer in this book as well. “In the appendix, you will find a call to action,” she said. “We have steps for creating a legacy of prayer. My grandmother was a prayer warrior, and she prayed for the family. That is special to me.”
“My daughter-in-law keeps her copy by the rocker for praying for the baby,” Loos concluded.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Vicki Stamps and originally published by the Pathway.
