BGEA: How do you believe a mom should prepare herself to be a godly influence on her children?
Graham: For me, it has definitely been my daily quiet time with the Lord. Nobody knows better what your day is going to entail than God almighty.
It’s the key to doing anything well.
BGEA: How would you describe the importance of having a godly mom in a home?
Graham: I try to be a godly mom. It’s so hard. It seems as soon as you’re finished with your quiet time, you’re yelling at your kids! Something I can say from experience is that I watched my mom when she was raising us. I can look back and see how her days were bathed in prayer and how she was there for me.
My mom’s mother, my grandmother, didn’t get saved until her death bed. So, I believed that impressed on my mom more of a passion to guide her children in the ways of God, keeping them in His Word.
I have so much respect for my mom–she could have perpetuated cycle of sin, but God broke it with her. She stressed the importance of hiding God’s Word in our hearts, and had us memorizing Scripture from a very early age.
Now, years later, those verses are still with me. I can see that my mom has helped me be a better mom by being a strong foundation for me. I hope and pray I can be that for my kids. I suppose it’s hard to really know until they grow up!
BGEA: Are there any other women who helped shape you as a mother?
Graham: My mother-in-law, Jane, instantly comes to mind. She cares about her daughters-in-law and has made all of us feel very much like a part of the family. She comes along beside me with God’s Word open and reminds me that God goes before me, no matter what I’m going through.
Another woman I would like to mention is Will’s aunt, Anne (Anne Graham Lotz). She’s the one who came along beside me and taught me how to study God’s Word and apply it to my life. That has been something I have clung to for 10 years that I refuse to give it up. She helped me see how personal God’s Word is to us.
BGEA: What are some of the ways you pray for your children?
Graham: I pray that they grow to love the Lord more every day and honor and serve Him. That He will be the main focus in life. That He will put a hedge of protection over them. That He will bring godly role models in their lives.
The list is so long!
God has entrusted these three lives to me. I can win the whole world for Christ, but that won’t matter if I’m neglecting the souls of my children. I pray that I never miss them through over involvement. I pray for myself as a mom–that I can focus on that of which God has entrusted to me.
Kendra Graham has been married to Will for 13 years. Together, they have three children: Christine Jane (“CJ”), Rachel Austin and William Franklin V (“Quinn”).
