"A woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised. Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise." (Proverbs 31:30-31).
First, Irene Cope's driving passion in life from the beginning of her early ministry as a late teen was to serve and please the Lord. Consumed is an appropriate description of her walk with Jesus. Her fear of the Lord has always been her education and evaluation for all she has done in life. At 90, the fire in her soul has not been extinguished in any way. Just the opposite, it continues to intensify.
As her two grandchildren sat at the table this weekend, their praise for her centered on her prayer life. They knew all of their lives that she was in constant intercession for their spiritual victory.
My sister Judi and I also realize that our spiritual foundation was forged at the feet of a mother who knew how to touch heaven and hear God's heart. We have more than our mother's DNA in our genes. We have her PNA (Prayer Nurturing Attention), which has impacted every decision we've made from marriage partners to our daily decisions. Our mother taught us that prayer was our greatest spiritual asset and weapon of choice when fighting the good fight of faith.
What do you give a mother who is celebrating her 90th birthday? Public Praise! For an extended period of time we sat sharing stories which praised our mother for her genuine faith and authentic godliness.
During these days of fasting and prayer, remember that as a father or mother you are impacting your children in a profound way by your example. As they observe you sacrificing for the purpose of drawing closer to your Savior they, too, will find reason to praise you for being a godly influence in their life.
I'll meet you at the Throne,
Pastor George
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