"One Hundred Fold, Lord!"

Turbo's Pre-K Graduation

I've discussed the idea of "prayer mantras" in previous posts--those few words you pray over and over in regards to a particular situation that are packed full of Scripture and heartfelt meaning.  Well, today I'd love to share with you one that I pray for my son that has particular meaning for me, and might serve as an encouragement for you, too!

One of the passages I have prayed over my children for many years now is the Parable of the Sower found in the thirteenth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.  It tells of a sower throwing out seed among four different types of soil.  Jesus tells it to his disciples and then explains it later in the chapter. Check it out with me...

“A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them.  Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear...

Hear then the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”    (Matthew 13:4-9, 18-23)

Now, this is a very familiar passage of Scripture for me and I have read it and prayed through it many times--perhaps you have, too. However, it has only been within the past year that it struck me that even in the "fourth soil" the seed which gave root and produced a fruit bearing plant had different yields of harvest--specifically, thirty, sixty, and one hundred fold.  It got me thinking...what was the difference?  And what kind of harvest do I want to pray for in my children's lives?

Well, for my very bright and yet very strong-willed son, Turbo, I felt very much led to pray for a "one hundred fold" harvest in his life, and I started to pray this as my prayer mantra for him throughout the ensuing days and weeks.  It wasn't but a few months later that I discovered another passage of Scripture when I was reading Genesis as part of my Bible reading program--my jaw literally dropped wide open when I read these words...

"And Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. The Lord blessed him..."  -(Genesis 26:12)

Wow!  That is exactly what I had been praying for--Yes, Lord Jesus!  Let him reap one hundred fold!!

And so I continue to pray, One hundred fold, Lord! in so many of the moments of my days and weeks in the trenches of mothering my son.  In the midst of battles of will, door slams, and time-out sessions.  When we stand side-by-side preparing dinner or reading a book snuggled on the couch.  In all those glorious, difficult, or mundane moments of motherhood, when I just don't have the time or energy to pray at length for my son, and yet I want nothing short of total heart-and-soul transformation in my son and in how we relate to one another.

And should you be mistaken that short little prayers like this one are not "spiritual" enough--let me take you to a passage that can assure you that the quantity or elloquency of our words do not matter to Jesus.  In fact, you need only flip back a few pages from the Parable of the Sower in the Gospel of Matthew to dispel this myth...

“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.  Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him."   (Matthew 6:7-8)

So busy one, when life is hard and words are few and time is short, don't be discouraged!  You can still have a power-packed, effective, Spirit-filled prayer life with the use of prayer mantras--those "superfoods," as I like to think of them, of the Christian faith that are nutrient dense, healing, life-promoting, and drill down deep to the heart of God.