Protecting Your Children with the Power of Prayer - Fern Nichols
[00:00:00] Matthew Potter: Prayer is a precious gift, a direct line to our Heavenly Father that we can access anytime. It strengthens our fellowship with God, deepening our trust in His plan, unconditional love and guidance. Jesus exemplified the importance of prayer, urging us to bring all of our concerns, joys, and questions to God.
[00:00:26] In this episode, Fern Nichols, founder of Moms in Prayer International enlightens us on the practice of lingering in prayer. She shares how her journey began with a heartfelt prayer for her son's wellbeing in junior high. Inspired by God, Fern initiated corporate prayer and found a prayer partner dedicating an hour to intercede for their children and others on campus.
[00:00:50] Fern highlights the significance of daily connection with God, especially for effective leadership, despite busy schedules, she starts each day with prayer, relying on God's wisdom for decision making. She emphasizes the importance of leaving a legacy of faith and prayer for future generations. Fern encourages us to make time for prayer knowing it is well spent Seeking our Heavenly Father's counsel brings immeasurable benefits and strengthens our relationship with Him
[00:01:24] During a time when her three-year-old son had to go through surgery, fern Nichols describes how she was able to trust God.
[00:01:31] Fern Nichols: Moms in Prayers really helped me in knowing scripture. And, uh, when my, uh, second child had his kidney removed, it was, um, It was a turning, uh, turning point in light of, because that was, you know, to remove a kidney at three years old.
[00:01:51] And so there were several scriptures that God gave me during that time that while he was in that operating room, I just clung to, um, that God had a purpose. And he created, he wove every single little, you know, part of his body.
[00:02:09] And so I think what it, what that experience that traumatic time did for me is God's word is true. And, uh, I can count on, count on it that God, uh, has an amazing plan for Troy in this, uh, if he took his life or, or, or left him. But, um, that time was like, I can really, really trust the God I know. Um, I can trust God with my son's life. That happened when he was three. Yeah. And so the reason why I say that that traumatic time is because God tests us in knowing Him.
[00:02:51] He says, you can know about me, but I am the creator and I did create this little boy with a kidney that was gonna need to be removed. Will you trust me with that? Will you trust me?
[00:03:07] And um, then the other verse he gave me was in John and it says, uh, we need have no fear of someone who loves us perfectly. Well, I knew God proved His love by dying on the cross. And then the verse says, well, now won't He give you everything else you need. I've given you the best I've given you, I've proven, I've demonstrated my love to you. So you don't need to fear what I'm gonna do to you, um, it eliminates, that's what the verse says, all of what I might do to you, and if you are afraid of what I might do to you, it's because you're not fully convinced I really love you.
[00:03:47] So that verse was really like, I went back to the very foundation of God's love and I did not need to fear or dread what he might do, uh, with my child. I would trust Him.
[00:04:03] This ministry, uh, I think that's one of the, the, the things about this ministry that we hear over and over is that as we teach the women how to praise and know their God, because life you have trials, life is not easy at times. Life can be hard, but will we trust the God that we say is compassionate, love, uh, sovereign, um, you know, the Good Shepherd, we just go through the litany of attributes that He has and then He tests us in it to say, okay, will you trust me?
[00:04:44] Matthew Potter: On part one of this three part series, Fern Nichols, the founder of Moms in Prayer International, tells us how she came up with the prayer movement that mobilized moms around the world to pray for their children. We learned what it was like for Fern to trust in God, why she asked Jesus to come into her life and where she found the power of corporate prayer.
[00:05:10] Fern Nichols: Hi, my name is Fern and I am forever grateful that God saved my mom. In 2 Corinthians 2:13, it says:
[00:05:19] From the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the spirit and through belief in the truth.
[00:05:28] My mom was not raised in a Christian home, um, but I believe that somebody prayed for her. Uh, she met my dad at a dance and, um, they hit it off really well. And, uh, my dad, uh, asked her to marry him. Uh, he had just recently lost his wife, um, giving, uh, birth to their second child. And, you know, as I think about how God created me and each one of us, he had us in mind, uh, before the foundation of the world.
[00:06:07] And as a result of this union with my mom and dad, I was born, I came into existence all in the will of God. But you know what? My mom had four children. They had four children. Uh, his, um, his wife and his first wife and him had two, and then my mom and him had two, me and my sister. And even though my mom was, um, secure in a home and well provided for, um, uh, in raising the four children, she knew something was missing in her life.
[00:06:46] Um, she felt an emptiness.
[00:06:49] And every morning when she was making breakfast for us, she was drawn to christian radio. She would have the christian radio station on every single morning, and she heard the good news of Jesus love for her, that He died on the cross to save her from her sins, and through His grace, which was a gift, she didn't have to earn the salvation, through His grace alone, uh, He saved her and she asked Jesus into her heart.
[00:07:21] Uh, she became His child and, uh, she had purpose, she felt she had purpose now here on Earth, and to know that sh she would live with God for all eternity was great peace to her heart.
[00:07:34] And what is so awesome about this, um, salvation experience that she had, is that she wanted to go to church. She wanted to grow in her faith. She wanted to know about this Jesus that she just asked in her heart. Um, and so there was this little church not too far from our home that uh, she would get us all, all ready to go to church, and every Sunday we were at that church. Um, and every Wednesday night we started going.
[00:08:06] And I can remember as a little girl, she would take us to, um, prayer meetings on Wednesday night. And there I was, this little girl sitting in the pew with my feet dangling. But I had such peace. I, I felt like this was a really neat place to be. I don't remember a prayer that was prayed, prayed, but I remember, um, how awesome it was to be there.
[00:08:34] My mom modeled her faith. She grew in her faith and she modeled it to me and, and my siblings. Um, she became actively involved in the church and got us involved at. And when she modeled her faith, it was through prayer. Um, a lot of times prayer, uh, before we ate, uh, prayer, when we went to bed. Sometimes she would even pray before we left the driveway that God would keep us safe.
[00:09:04] What she was saying to this little girl was that there was a heavenly father, who cared about every single thing in her life, that there was a heavenly father who watched over us and that he heard our prayers. She was an example of, um, oh, she's one of my heroes. She was an example of a woman who loved, obeyed and walked with God.
[00:09:33] So that, that then, um, was the, the beginnings of the stirs in my own heart that I wanted to ask Jesus into my heart as well. And so, at a young age, I asked Jesus to come in to my heart and forgive me of my sins, and to become His child, and I, I wanted to live for Him.
[00:09:57] There was a, a very interesting time, uh, in my life when I was around 12 years old, uh, there was a visiting evangelist that came for the week and, um, he talks so powerfully about, about heaven and hell and, um, I've. My faith was a little bit shaken thinking, boy, you know, I know I'm gonna be spending all eternity with the Lord in heaven. But I don't remember the exact moment in time when I was so little, when I asked Jesus into my heart with my mom.
[00:10:33] And so one night, uh, when I was laying in bed, I said, Lord, I, I've asked you in my heart. I know I have, but I don't remember it. But tonight, I want to remember the moment that I ask you. And so at that time, I, I said, Lord, I, I love you. I, uh, believe that you died for me. I, I want to be your child and serve you however you want, want to use me.
[00:11:03] And so that was a defining moment, I think in my Christian walk, uh, with my growth, with my maturity in Christ, knowing that that was settled in my heart. I was a very shy girl, uh, growing up. In fact, I didn't wanna leave my mother's side. I, I remember one heart wrenching, miserable time I had when my mom thought it would be good for me to go to a, a Christian camp for a whole week.
[00:11:35] Well, I didn't wanna go. I didn't wanna leave home. I didn't really know anybody and, and I remember, I, I cried the whole week. I wanted to go home. I was very, I was very stressed out in, in that time and I, I thought, boy, Lord, I don't know why you allowed this to, you know, happen in my life, but I, I tell you, that was a, a moment in time in which I realized the importance of home, the, the value of family.
[00:12:07] Um, and yes, thank God for Christian camps. I just wasn't quite ready for it and I was very shy in meeting people. Another place I was really shy was at school. I would just, uh, turn beet red if I was called on. And, uh, I felt like when I talked, the things that I said didn't come out quite right.
[00:12:29] Um, so I, I, I've, I realized now that I had put a lot of pressure on myself to every, to do everything perfect. Um, and, uh, I felt like, you know, in some cases I didn't feel worthy to do things. Um, there was a lack of self-confidence, some insecurities, um, but yet as I grew in my faith and in the church, I, I began to deal with some of those things, and that was one place I always felt encouraged.
[00:13:03] Uh, the church was a place where I felt worthy. Uh, the church was a place where my confidence grew. Um, And so when I think back, this shy little girl and the struggles I had with maybe, um, confidence, to be the woman that God chose to start an international ministry of moms praying for their children in schools, I thought, boy, all glory goes to the Lord on this one, that's for sure.
[00:13:35] And, and as I thought through the growing process in my life to bring about more confidence, uh, also in leadership is he put me in charge of several things growing up. Um, my mom was instrumental in saying, you know, I think you would really be a good Sunday school teacher.
[00:13:54] Well, I think I was in the seventh grade and I had my first little Sunday school class of second graders, and I loved it. Uh, became the youth group president and then was involved with Youth for Christ in my high school and became president of that. Um, and I'm sharing these things because in the growth process of what God created for us to do, it's little by little and saying, yes, one moment at a time, and how the Lord is, is leading you.
[00:14:28] Um, the verse that I absolutely love is Ephesians 2:10, for we are God's workmanship. Created in Christ Jesus to to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
[00:14:42] When I think about that, it's like, God is the workmanship in my life. God created me. He gave me the gifts and talents that he knew along the way where he would want to use me in doing good works that he prepared in advance before the foundation of the world, he had his eyes spotted on me and had destiny for my life. Um, in Psalms 32:8, it says, I will instruct you and teach you in the way that you should go, and I will counsel you and watch over you. And that's what I've seen as I've looked back in my life, how God is taking me from one season to another, and no season is small.
[00:15:25] Uh, to not despise the small beginnings because when it's touched with the supernatural, it can just become gigantic, gigantic. And I think about that with the Ministry at Moms in Prayer International.
[00:15:40] As I married and had four children of my own, I can remember that day, um, when I sent those two oldest boys off to a junior high school and fear gripped my heart in light of knowing that I was sending them, I felt it was sending them into darkness because that there's be so much that would become against their faith in that public school. And I knew prayer was the answer. I had, uh, experienced in my own life in the different seasons, and I, but I knew that I needed to pray with somebody else, I, I, I knew the power of corporate prayer.
[00:16:21] The, the prayer principle in Matthew, where it talks about two or three gathered together in His name, praying in agreement prayer. I realized later that, that corporate prayer bringing believers together to cry out to God for whatever's on our heart, and I felt desperate that day sending my boys off to that school, especially when I heard, um, through one of the the people that work at that school that 70% of the girls were not virgins and that they had trouble with drugs and alcohol, and I thought, oh Lord, you're the victor, and we have not, because we ask not, and we need to be fighting for our children. There's a spiritual warfare going on and I, I need another mom to pray with, would you please put on my heart another mom to pray with for that school? And He did.
[00:17:17] I immediately called her and I said, you know, I just have a, a deep desire to pray for that school and our kids at that school that they would keep walking in passive righteousness, and, uh, that they would know the difference between right and wrong and choose right.
[00:17:35] There were so many things on my heart that I wanted to protect my, my boys from, and of course, um, the other children from as well. And what grew out of that was a great desire to pray for every child on that campus for their salvation. We know that our schools will change when lives are changed.
[00:17:56] And so when she said yes, uh, I told her, I said, okay, this hour that we're gonna be praying is going to be an hour of, of battle. We know that when we cry to God, the tide of battle turns and we are going to be, uh, praying throughout the whole hour. And I, I came up with a format of four steps of prayer.
[00:18:19] Uh, It's praise, confession, thanksgiving, and intercession.
[00:18:25] And throughout that hour as we started the hour out with praise, we paused, we stopped, we looked up, we didn't look at the circumstances, but we looked at our God who seated on the throne. Our God who is sovereign. He is the ruler. He is the king. He created everything in heaven and earth, uh, by His great power and His outstretched arm, it says in Jeremiah, and nothing is too difficult for Him.
[00:18:58] So when we would stop and praise God for who He is, not just about who He is, but who He really is, then when we get to that time of intercession, it was like, hey, we are praying to an Almighty God who we are praying according to His word and his will, and we can be assured that he has heard these prayers and will answer.
[00:19:22] Oh my goodness, that first year, I can't even tell you all of the answers to prayer as a result of taking that hour weekly to cry out to God. Our theme verse in Moms in Prayer International is Lamentations 2:19, arise, cry out, uh, pour your heart out like water before the face of the Lord. Lift up your hands toward Him for the lives of your children who faint from hunger at the head of every street.
[00:19:54] Many kids got saved, um, my, my children went through those years, uh, unscathed, um, we had some little situations later which, uh, uh, again, God heart our prayers and, and brought them back.
[00:20:12] But what all this to say is that God has a plan for our life, and it is for good, and it's for purpose, it's for destiny.
[00:20:22] He created us to love Him, have fellowship with Him, and to partner with Him for his kingdom, the kingdom of God here on earth. And so to take this shy little girl, uh, who uh, who was afraid to get up in front and speak and, and, uh, and, and cheer uh, has been to approximately 18 countries sharing the good news of this ministry, Moms in Prayer International, oh my goodness, the good works that God has prepared for each one of us to do if we would, but say yes, one step at a time and believe that His plan is good and whatever he has asked us to do, he will equip us and give us all we need to do it, for He has given us everything we need for life and godliness.
[00:21:19] So how to keep that passion for your mission and vision is so, so important. People are not gonna be passionate about what you're not passionate about. You can say that you belong to a prayer ministry, but if you don't pray and you're not in a group, I mean, what kind of passion is that? The vision is for every single school to be covered. Why? So that every child can be prayed for.
[00:21:46] Matthew Potter: On part two of this three part series, Fern Nichols teaches us why it's important to listen more and open up to new ideas. Great leaders have a servant attitude and lead with grace and truth. She tells us how to keep our visions alive with passion. Using her leadership, Fern has been able to change the lives of thousands of women with Moms in Prayer.
[00:22:11] Fern Nichols: As I've grown into, uh, greater leadership, uh, as founder of Moms in Prayer, with us being in over 140 countries, um, God has been very patient with me. And, uh, I have, I, I'm just gonna share with you what I have learned throughout the years of, uh, what, what are the qualities of a good leader, a spiritual leader.
[00:22:44] Um, and I believe with all my heart, the very first thing to be a good leader. Is to spend time every single day with God. There's a verse in Matthew 6 33 that says, seek first the kingdom and all these other things will be added to you.
[00:23:09] In leadership there are so many decisions that need to be made and, um, without spending that time with the God who has the wisdom, who has the knowledge, the understanding of whatever situation I might be in, or the decisions that need to be made, putting Him first and foremost, uh, every single day has given me the confidence in knowing that throughout that day, one day at a time, God will help me and guide me and take me on the best pathway for that day.
[00:23:52] Uh, being in the word daily, um, it's not only to get the wisdom and all that from the Lord, but it's also to just have sweet fellowship with Him.
[00:24:02] Uh, what I love about moms in touch and teaching us how to praise. Is to know the attributes, names, and characteristics of God. So in my personal quiet time, I'll just choose an attribute like, God is good. God, you are good. And then I'll look up scriptures that, that say that he is good.
[00:24:21] Uh, he cannot sin. Everything He does is right. Uh, so to keep that focus of my good God, uh, helping guiding me throughout that day, is such great peace, and I just, I praise it for that. I'm so grateful. I'm thankful for that.
[00:24:40] So it's not only just reading the word and saying, oh, I got my, my, my, uh, my, my prayer and Bible time in today, and off I go.
[00:24:49] No, it's reading, uh, with a meditative heart. Uh, not too fast. I, I've learned throughout the years to linger longer there, even though my to-do list is sitting right next to me and I have so much to do. Um, he has helped me throughout the years to really be able to stop and focus and, uh, well, I've heard it said that the Bible is God's love letter to us.
[00:25:18] Now, why wouldn't I wanna be all immersed in that? With my heavenly Father who, uh, who wants to talk to me, who wants to commune with me, who's waiting for me to come and, and speak to Him. So there's an abiding in Christ that happens, abiding in His peace, uh, abiding in His joy, uh, abiding in the abundant life that He came to give.
[00:25:48] And just to be reminded of that, especially in the morning before the day starts, um, and, and actually when I prayed, uh, to the Lord to give me one other mom to pray with, um, for the children in schools, it was when I was abiding. I was praying to God and then I went to this, oh God, my heart's desperate for my boys. And uh, that's when he led me to do the call to this particular woman, and the rest is history.
[00:26:18] Uh, being in our 34th year now of moms in Prayer with thousands and thousands of women's lives being changed as well as their kids in schools. And it was, it was because of that day I was abiding. We never should take, uh, for granted on one unassuming day what God will do when he shows up to speak to our heart.
[00:26:40] That's, that's pretty exciting.
[00:26:43] Um, father and daughter or father and son relationship. I also heard, and it really stuck in my heart as a leader, is, um, you will be like the one you spend the most time with. And I wanted to be like Christ as a leader. Um, a leader cannot take anybody, any, any person to a place where they have not been.
[00:27:11] And so I, I wanted to be like Christ. And the the servant leader is who Jesus was. He was a servant leader. Uh, He manifested the character of God filled with the fruit of the spirit. And so when I think about the fruit of the spirit, which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control, I can't do that in the flesh. It has to be through the power of the Holy Spirit.
[00:27:43] And that's why that morning time is so important for me, but not just the morning, but to carry that throughout the day that His ever presence is with me throughout the day. And many times throughout the day, I'll just stop and pray, Lord, I don't know what to do here.
[00:27:59] Or if there is a situation that I need to deal with one of employees, Lord I, I, I just, I wanna come across loving and I wanna be kind, um, I wanna build this person up in their faith. So throughout the day with decisions or uh, people that I need to, needed to talk to, um, I would just stop and pray. And then when we would hear of, uh, a shooting or something traumatic that was happening at a school, I'd just bring the, the staff, women together and we would pray. We would immediately pray, stop and pray so that our ever-present God was with us throughout the day in whatever we needed, if we would, and we chose to stop and look up so that servant leader of Christ, um, Is something that I continue to, to work on and I, I know not only leadership with the ministry, but my servant leadership at home.
[00:29:00] There's no mundane thing in our life when the supernatural touches it. I was thinking about, uh, the servant leadership as a mom. Oh my goodness. All the things that, you know, we do the toilets and the beds and the shopping, and we could just go on and on. But there's no mundane thing when we do it with a servant attitude like Christ.
[00:29:26] And He touches that mundane thing and He turns it into a supernatural blessing that, uh, blesses our family. So you got a mom walking around with a smile on her face and not, oh, I gotta do that again. Um, so in whatever area of our life to be Christ is the goal.
[00:29:47] And then the other, the other thing that the Lord taught me and is continuing to teach me in how to lead with grace and truth.
[00:29:58] Uh, yes, we need to be gracious. Uh, um, we need to be thinking about blessing a person and not cursing the person with negative, but how do you do that when the truth also needs to be shared? And Jesus was just so masterful at that, how He could speak such truth, but with such love and such grace and I continue to ask God to help me in those situations, to lead with grace and truth.
[00:30:35] Also, um, I think a quality of a, a, a great leader is to be humble. Uh, when we think about a humble person, it's a person that when they mess up, they admit it. They don't try to hide it or cover it up or, or when we need to ask forgiveness, I, I remember one time I didn't realize this, but I offended one of the staff people and, um, was told to me through someone else, well, I immediately invited her in and said, oh my goodness, I am so sorry, please forgive me, I didn't mean for you to feel that way.
[00:31:17] And it's very, it's very hard at times to not, um, to, to not be prideful. Uh, I mean, we have a, you know, you're a president or a founder of something, you know, you've gotta have to have this persona and, and just be perfect all the time. But I think truly it's the humble person that people gravitate to.
[00:31:42] Um, I, I, I, you know, we all deal with this at certain times, the sin of pride, you know, the desire to look perfect. Uh, the desire to be important or noticed, uh, you know, that pat on the back or you wanting the, or we wanting the, the, uh, credit for, for the success that happened? Um, I think the quality of a, uh, a gracious Christ servant leader is humble.
[00:32:19] The other thing that the Lord has been teaching me and, uh, continues to is I need to be teachable. I need to be open to new ideas. I need to listen better. I have so many thoughts and I've got so many, and it's like, how do I persuade them to come to my side? And he said, no, I want you to listen. And sometimes when we would have meetings, uh, I actually would put my hands under the desk with my palms up, and I would silently pray.
[00:32:53] Lord, help me to listen. Help me to be open to new ideas. Um, I want your will. This is what I'm thinking, but I want your will and I pray that we come to unity. So, oh my goodness, that just made me go "phew".
[00:33:09] And it was not like I had to get it done and I, my will needed to happen, but to give it, uh, to the Lord through that simple little thing that just helped me say, okay, Lord, it's yours.
[00:33:23] And then I think a leader keeps the passion. They, um, they keep the vision alive. Enthusiasm I've heard, and I believe it begets enthusiasm. I've been in this ministry 34 years. I've prayed through my children and they love the Lord, and, um, they've married spouses that love the Lord. Uh, 10 grandchildren now, nine out of the 10 who've asked jesus and to their heart, why would not I be passionate about a ministry that comes together now with other grandmothers to pray for this next generation of children?
[00:34:00] Every child needs to be prayed for, and what a joy now to pray for their schools. When I think about the thief, the enemy Satan, he comes only to steal and kill and destroy.
[00:34:13] Who's gonna rise up against that? And we have seen in our schools, the suicide, the depression, the immorality. We could just go on and on. Satan is out to, to steal and kill and destroy our children. And we're saying, Satan, you can't have him. You didn't have my children. And you're not gonna have my grandchildren.
[00:34:34] We are rising, uh, to even, I think a greater degree. When I was a mom in, Moms in Prayer, I mean, it was like we were mother bears, I mean, you know, protecting our children in prayer and the word of God. But boy, when you become a grandma, it just heightens like 10 times. I don't know. We're every wild beast in the, in the jungle when it comes to our grandchildren.
[00:34:57] So how to keep that passion for your mission and vision is so, so important. People are not gonna be passionate about what you're not passionate about. You can say that you belong to a prayer ministry, but if you don't pray and you're not in a group, I mean, what kind of passion is that?
[00:35:12] The vision is for every single school to be covered. Why? So that every child can be prayed for. For salvation for every child that God would open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God so that they'll receive forgiveness of sin and a place among those who are sanctified by faith. I said that fast, but what we're saying is God, that they might not perish, may today be the day of salvation.
[00:35:39] We pray that for the teachers, uh, for the administrators, the principals, the coaches, every, every person on that school campus. And of course for the Christian schools, if they go to Christian school, we pray, Lord, no apathy at this school, just la, la, la, oh, we're saved, and you know, we don't need to pray much. No!
[00:35:59] Satan wants also to steal and kill and destroy, uh, them as well, and that's why this ministry arrived. So keep the passion alive, whatever that means. I mean, be, be in the word. All the things that I'm talking about here as far as a leader. Um, build up your faith. See answers to prayer in your life. Ask big.
[00:36:25] We're not beggars coming into the back door of the Almighty throne of God, no, we're His children, the scepter is held out and he says, what do you want me to do for you? Oh Lord, I have a, I have a grandchild who's just a little might of a thing and he wants to play football, and his parents said Yes, and then as my heart went to, but oh Lord, he's so little and they're so big and he's gonna get hurt. And the Lord said, okay, now who's suffering? Oh, yes, Lord, oh, you, you'll protect him. I ask that you would protect him. I pray father, that uh, it would be a good ex and that I go on and on.
[00:37:05] So, um, yeah, even now after I should have the, but it keeps it alive when God is testing us, when we trust God or not, or will we go to fear? Will we be anxious? Will we be shaken? Well, we don't need to be. Not if we're God's child.
[00:37:25] Um, the other thing, uh, as far as leadership is concerned, I think it's very important that we have accountability. In the Moms in Prayer ministry, we have an amazing board of about 12 men and women who are passionate about this ministry.
[00:37:46] But, um, but I am accountable to, and the, the president now who I handed off that baton too, is now accountable to very, very important that we have accountability in our spiritual walk, and also what we do in the ministry that we're keeping spot on with the mission.
[00:38:06] Moms in Prayer international impacts children in schools for Christ by gathering mothers to pray.
[00:38:13] We're not off on any other, no, for 34 years, that has been our mission and we need to be accountable to it. Don't listen to the lies of the enemy, uh, because he wants to wipe you out. He wants to to, to make you feel like the good works that God planned for you, uh, in advance are really not good works at all.
[00:38:36] And, um, and look at where you are now. So we must not listen to the lies of the enemy. Go to the word, hear what your heavenly Father has to say. I mean, I think God still almost all the time that how God reached down his hand from on high and delivered my son from Satan's desire to destroy him. And Satan wants to destroy our ministries too.
[00:39:03] He wants to destroy your family. He wants to destroy your marriage. Don't listen to the lies of the enemy, so that, With, with those kinds of leadership thoughts, um, I am so grateful that the God creator of heaven and earth is on my side and if He's on my side, who can be against me.
[00:39:30] So this is what I pray, and it takes a long time to pray for your children and grandchildren and your greats.
[00:39:36] And you know, and I pray for salvation for every single one. I pray that none would be lost. It's not God's will that any should perish, but all come to repentance. So long after I'm in heaven, that prayer is continuing on. God is hurted and answering in the lives of my descendants. That just gets me so excited that I am a part of their lives through prayer when I'm in heaven with with my savior, I pray, big prayers now, I mean before it was like, uh, prayers I thought God could answer, but no, I gotta be praying prayers that, um, are impossible to answer, but not impossible with God. So I pray that they would enthusiastically embrace the truth, that their passion and their vision would to be love and serve God wholeheartedly.
[00:40:41] Matthew Potter: On part three of this three part series, we learned that the legacy of Fern Nichols wants to leave behind is a legacy of faith and prayer. Prayer is the greatest investment someone can make in their life, and Fern believes it will impact future generations for the good. Fern hopes that we will all fulfill the legacy of faith, love, joy and prayer.
[00:41:09] Fern Nichols: My mother left me a legacy of faith in prayer, and that is the legacy I want to leave with my children. And my grandchildren. And great-grandchildren. Legacy is what we've passed down from generation to generation. What are the most important things we can pass down? You know, is it treasures that we build up here on earth or is it treasures in heaven?
[00:41:48] You know, our, our life is influential, every single day we have influence, and our life will impact future generations. What we do or what we don't do will impact future generations to my children and my grandchildren. And I'm so grateful that God started our spiritual legacy when my mom asked Jesus into her heart passed down to me, and I personally, I, I couldn't, uh, swing it on the coattail coattails of my mother. I had to be a personal relationship with me and then passing it down to my, my children, uh, being very intentional as I raised them, that the word of God was read in our home, that we went to church, that faith was built up, that prayers were prayed, and then praise God, each one, uh, asked Christ into their life.
[00:42:55] It's, it's an eternal, wonderful investment when we pass down the legacy of faith and prayer to our children, and, and the prayer is the greatest, I believe, the greatest investment that you can make. It really does lay up riches that last forever. Uh, and the older I get, the, the more I realize that my praying here on earth for my children and their spouses and grandchildren, um, I mean, I'm not gonna be here forever, but I love this quote by E.M. Bounds, and he says: god shapes the world by prayer. Prayers are deathless. Woo-hoo. The lips that uttered them may be closed in death. The heart that felt them may have ceased to beat, but the prayers live before God and God's heart is set on them, and prayers outlive the lives of those who uttered them. Outlive a generation, outlive in age and outlive a world.
[00:44:13] And I'm saying, yes, somebody said. I think, I don't know who it was, but they said, I tell you, our, our, uh, our family and the generations after, I mean, we're, you know, we're the hound of heaven on them until they give their lives to the Lord and fulfill the destiny that God has for them.
[00:44:32] And then I thought, you know what, we are just following Jesus example because Jesus prayed in John 17:20. As he was praying for His disciples, He says, my prayer is not for them alone. I pray for those who will believe in me through their message. He was praying for me. He was praying for you.
[00:45:02] Those prayers that he prayed for them in John 17 were the very same prayers generationally down until He comes. He prayed for us and I thought, oh, whoa, this is wonderful. So I thought, what is He? Here's some of the things He prayed. Protect them from the evil one. Oh, He's praying, he's our intercessor, he's our high priest.
[00:45:25] He is praying for us every single day, and what a joy being a part of the kingdom of priests to join Him. And not only thanking Him that those prayers were being prayed for for me and my family, but now I get to also generationally pass down that prayer to protect each one of my descendants from the evil one.
[00:45:48] What joy is that? And then Jesus prayed that, oh, that they would have the joy that Father you and I have. And I thought, oh, that's unity. And that's what we can pray and pass down. And that He prayed for us that we would be sanctified with, that we would become holy by His word because His word is truth.
[00:46:10] And so I pray for my, my children, grandchildren, and those descendants, I don't even know because I will be in heaven, that the word of God would dwell in them richly and that they would be made holy by the word that they would love the word and that they would be obedient to the world because it's God's now speaking voice and he wants to speak to each one of my descendants.
[00:46:35] So this is what I pray, and it takes a long time to pray for your children and grandchildren and your greats, and. You know, and I pray for salvation for every single one. I pray that none would be lost. It's not God's will that any should perish, but all come to repentance so long after I'm in heaven, that prayer is continuing on.
[00:46:56] God is hurted in answering in the lives of my descendants. That just gets me so excited that I am a part of their lives through prayer when I'm in heaven with with my savior. I pray big prayers now. I mean before it was like, uh, prayers I thought God could answer, but no, I gotta be praying prayers that, um, are impossible to answer, but not impossible with God.
[00:47:28] So I pray that they would enthusiastically embrace the truth, that their passion and their vision were to be loved and serve God wholeheartedly, that they would love righteousness and hate evil now, now remember, these are the prayers I'm praying for the descendants of the Arley Nichols, and that's my husband's name, the Arley Nichols line, starting from my mom, that they would each marry godly spouses, that they would not be unequally yoked.
[00:48:05] Um, I also pray a bold prayer that there would be no divorce in the Arley Nichols line. I pray that they would fulfill the destiny for their lives, that God was good works, that God prepared for them in advance before they were even born, that God planned for them, that they would walk in path of righteousness for His namesake.
[00:48:30] That they, there's a, Jesus said to the disciples, you know, I want you to pray that the Lord of the harvest will sin forth workers, laborers in the harvest fields, and I pray that for each one of my descendants, no matter what occupation God calls into, that they would see that as their mission field, that they would be salt and light.
[00:48:55] I, I heard this phrase once and I loved it, and I stole it. That my descendants would be used by God to change the world for Christ, not just survive in it. Every descendant to be a Jesus lover, every descendant to be intercessors, be prayers joining and cope, um, partnering with Christ in the things that God wants to do on the earth.
[00:49:24] I pray that they would stand firm in all the will of God. That they would set their minds on things above that they'd be strong in the Lord, in the power of His mind, putting on the whole armor of God.
[00:49:35] Oh yes, that is the legacy I wanna pray and leave and give to my descendants. And then also I want to be a model to them of a legacy of faith that I will faithfully serve the Lord until he takes me home. That he is the author and the finisher of my faith. Um, the legacy that I wanna leave in this ministry, that generation after generation moms will continue to gather together. This is such an unselfish ministry and not only pray for our children, but every child, every child.
[00:50:15] In fact, when I, when I prayed for Trisha, my daughter's, um, friend in high school and he was just a friend, but he didn't know Jesus and we prayed for him, uh, for a long time and, um, that it was just a glorious moment when he gave his life to Christ. And little did I know that six years later he would marry my daughter.
[00:50:38] So we never know who we pray for in high school that could eventually belong, belong to our family. So as long as I have breath, I wanna be faithful to my family and prayer and faithful to this ministry and to think that this ministry can go on generation after generation if the Lord tears knowing that children around the world will be prayed for and the schools that they attend.
[00:51:07] As long as I have breath, um, I know He is still getting glory from me because I'm still breathing and so I want to make each day count. We should anyway, but I think it's just important for us to be reminded of that every single day is important and, and my ministry prayer and my ministry verse is, Lord, even when I'm old and gray, do not forsake me, oh God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come.
[00:51:41] And what a joy to be able to do that now with my grandchildren. And when I think about legacies left and I think about the Old Testament and just the amazing testimonies of of their lives. I mean, I love Deborah. I mean, Deborah said, okay, this is enough. Village life has ceased here. The enemy has come. We're hiding out in our homes. This is enough. She says the village life ceased, ceased until I, Deborah arose a mother in Israel, and that's what's happening all over the world. Mothers of whatever, um, culture, land, tribe, nation, they are saying, enough, Satan, you cannot have our children. Enough, and we are a rising, so we're the Deborahs.
[00:52:33] And then I love Caleb because Caleb, I mean, my goodness, at 85 years old, he says, give me this mountain. And as long as, as I have breath, I wanna be getting the new mountains that God might have for me as I wanted to be faithful and finish the race. Um, and that, and that's one little thing that I wanna close with here about is our race.
[00:52:59] In Hebrews 12:1-2 it says, my Lord, let me throw off everything that hinders me and let me run with perseverance the race marked out for me, fixing my eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith. What I love about that is the race marked out for me, and when I think of, you know, a race and all the different runners that are in their lane, what can happen, uh, is that we can look at the other person in their lane and they could be ahead of us, and then we can get down on ourself because we're not doing enough or this or that. Or we could look to the left of us and see the one following us, and then maybe pride could puff up because, oh, look at where I am.
[00:53:45] No.
[00:53:47] Our legacy to the time that the Lord takes us home. Is to run in the lane marked out for me. Paul says, I consider my life worth nothing to me. If only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me. So when we run in our lane and leave the legacy of faith and prayer, and fulfill the destiny that God has for us, the good works that he planned for us to do before the foundation of the world in our lane, we keep our eyes on a finish line.
[00:54:35] And who is there? Jesus. Jesus is there. And I can just say, yeah, good job. Come on. You can do it. I'll give you the strength. And then in this lane, if we fall, he's there to help pick us back up. Come on, we'll go. We'll do it. Oh, may we all fulfill the legacy of faith and love and joy and prayer.
[00:55:16] Matthew Potter: Prayer is a powerful way to connect with God, allowing us to share our cares, fears, hopes, and gratitude directly with Him. There are no set rules or specific times for prayer. Jesus taught us to simply pray with a meditative heart, open to God's guidance and trusting in His wisdom. Through prayer, we access God's counsel compassion and understanding, reminding us that we are never alone.
[00:55:43] In this episode of Relentless Hope, Fern Nichols, the founder of Moms in Prayer International, emphasizes the importance of lingering in prayer. She reveals how her journey began with a heartfelt prayer expressing her fears for her children.
[00:55:58] Fern demonstrates that God has a growth process for each of us, leading us step by step as we engage in constant communion with Him.
[00:56:07] Fern highlights the significance of leaders dedicating time to prayer, seeking God's counsel in daily decision making, she shares valuable leadership qualities such as grace, truth, humility, passion, teachability and accountability.
[00:56:23] Moreover, Fern's devotion to leaving a legacy of faith through prayer inspires reflection on the treasures we pass down from generation to generation. She encourages us to bring our seemingly impossible prayers to God, acknowledging that nothing is impossible for Him.
[00:56:42] Daily prayer has transformative power, deepening our fellowship with God and reminding us that He is always present. Through prayer we find comfort, wisdom, courage, grace, and a sense of companionship. Embracing prayer and inviting God into our hearts is a meaningful choice that brings us closer to him.
[00:57:02] If this episode of Relentless Hope has inspired you, please share this with someone you love.
[00:57:07] You never know the positive impact you can have on someone's life. Thank you for listening. I'm Matthew Potter, and remember to give hope a voice.
Protecting Your Children with the Power of Prayer - Fern Nichols
[00:00:00] Matthew Potter: Prayer is a precious gift, a direct line to our Heavenly Father that we can access anytime. It strengthens our fellowship with God, deepening our trust in His plan, unconditional love and guidance. Jesus exemplified the importance of prayer, urging us to bring all of our concerns, joys, and questions to God.
[00:00:26] In this episode, Fern Nichols, founder of Moms in Prayer International enlightens us on the practice of lingering in prayer. She shares how her journey began with a heartfelt prayer for her son's wellbeing in junior high. Inspired by God, Fern initiated corporate prayer and found a prayer partner dedicating an hour to intercede for their children and others on campus.
[00:00:50] Fern highlights the significance of daily connection with God, especially for effective leadership, despite busy schedules, she starts each day with prayer, relying on God's wisdom for decision making. She emphasizes the importance of leaving a legacy of faith and prayer for future generations. Fern encourages us to make time for prayer knowing it is well spent Seeking our Heavenly Father's counsel brings immeasurable benefits and strengthens our relationship with Him
[00:01:24] During a time when her three-year-old son had to go through surgery, fern Nichols describes how she was able to trust God.
[00:01:31] Fern Nichols: Moms in Prayers really helped me in knowing scripture. And, uh, when my, uh, second child had his kidney removed, it was, um, It was a turning, uh, turning point in light of, because that was, you know, to remove a kidney at three years old.
[00:01:51] And so there were several scriptures that God gave me during that time that while he was in that operating room, I just clung to, um, that God had a purpose. And he created, he wove every single little, you know, part of his body.
[00:02:09] And so I think what it, what that experience that traumatic time did for me is God's word is true. And, uh, I can count on, count on it that God, uh, has an amazing plan for Troy in this, uh, if he took his life or, or, or left him. But, um, that time was like, I can really, really trust the God I know. Um, I can trust God with my son's life. That happened when he was three. Yeah. And so the reason why I say that that traumatic time is because God tests us in knowing Him.
[00:02:51] He says, you can know about me, but I am the creator and I did create this little boy with a kidney that was gonna need to be removed. Will you trust me with that? Will you trust me?
[00:03:07] And um, then the other verse he gave me was in John and it says, uh, we need have no fear of someone who loves us perfectly. Well, I knew God proved His love by dying on the cross. And then the verse says, well, now won't He give you everything else you need. I've given you the best I've given you, I've proven, I've demonstrated my love to you. So you don't need to fear what I'm gonna do to you, um, it eliminates, that's what the verse says, all of what I might do to you, and if you are afraid of what I might do to you, it's because you're not fully convinced I really love you.
[00:03:47] So that verse was really like, I went back to the very foundation of God's love and I did not need to fear or dread what he might do, uh, with my child. I would trust Him.
[00:04:03] This ministry, uh, I think that's one of the, the, the things about this ministry that we hear over and over is that as we teach the women how to praise and know their God, because life you have trials, life is not easy at times. Life can be hard, but will we trust the God that we say is compassionate, love, uh, sovereign, um, you know, the Good Shepherd, we just go through the litany of attributes that He has and then He tests us in it to say, okay, will you trust me?
[00:04:44] Matthew Potter: On part one of this three part series, Fern Nichols, the founder of Moms in Prayer International, tells us how she came up with the prayer movement that mobilized moms around the world to pray for their children. We learned what it was like for Fern to trust in God, why she asked Jesus to come into her life and where she found the power of corporate prayer.
[00:05:10] Fern Nichols: Hi, my name is Fern and I am forever grateful that God saved my mom. In 2 Corinthians 2:13, it says:
[00:05:19] From the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the spirit and through belief in the truth.
[00:05:28] My mom was not raised in a Christian home, um, but I believe that somebody prayed for her. Uh, she met my dad at a dance and, um, they hit it off really well. And, uh, my dad, uh, asked her to marry him. Uh, he had just recently lost his wife, um, giving, uh, birth to their second child. And, you know, as I think about how God created me and each one of us, he had us in mind, uh, before the foundation of the world.
[00:06:07] And as a result of this union with my mom and dad, I was born, I came into existence all in the will of God. But you know what? My mom had four children. They had four children. Uh, his, um, his wife and his first wife and him had two, and then my mom and him had two, me and my sister. And even though my mom was, um, secure in a home and well provided for, um, uh, in raising the four children, she knew something was missing in her life.
[00:06:46] Um, she felt an emptiness.
[00:06:49] And every morning when she was making breakfast for us, she was drawn to christian radio. She would have the christian radio station on every single morning, and she heard the good news of Jesus love for her, that He died on the cross to save her from her sins, and through His grace, which was a gift, she didn't have to earn the salvation, through His grace alone, uh, He saved her and she asked Jesus into her heart.
[00:07:21] Uh, she became His child and, uh, she had purpose, she felt she had purpose now here on Earth, and to know that sh she would live with God for all eternity was great peace to her heart.
[00:07:34] And what is so awesome about this, um, salvation experience that she had, is that she wanted to go to church. She wanted to grow in her faith. She wanted to know about this Jesus that she just asked in her heart. Um, and so there was this little church not too far from our home that uh, she would get us all, all ready to go to church, and every Sunday we were at that church. Um, and every Wednesday night we started going.
[00:08:06] And I can remember as a little girl, she would take us to, um, prayer meetings on Wednesday night. And there I was, this little girl sitting in the pew with my feet dangling. But I had such peace. I, I felt like this was a really neat place to be. I don't remember a prayer that was prayed, prayed, but I remember, um, how awesome it was to be there.
[00:08:34] My mom modeled her faith. She grew in her faith and she modeled it to me and, and my siblings. Um, she became actively involved in the church and got us involved at. And when she modeled her faith, it was through prayer. Um, a lot of times prayer, uh, before we ate, uh, prayer, when we went to bed. Sometimes she would even pray before we left the driveway that God would keep us safe.
[00:09:04] What she was saying to this little girl was that there was a heavenly father, who cared about every single thing in her life, that there was a heavenly father who watched over us and that he heard our prayers. She was an example of, um, oh, she's one of my heroes. She was an example of a woman who loved, obeyed and walked with God.
[00:09:33] So that, that then, um, was the, the beginnings of the stirs in my own heart that I wanted to ask Jesus into my heart as well. And so, at a young age, I asked Jesus to come in to my heart and forgive me of my sins, and to become His child, and I, I wanted to live for Him.
[00:09:57] There was a, a very interesting time, uh, in my life when I was around 12 years old, uh, there was a visiting evangelist that came for the week and, um, he talks so powerfully about, about heaven and hell and, um, I've. My faith was a little bit shaken thinking, boy, you know, I know I'm gonna be spending all eternity with the Lord in heaven. But I don't remember the exact moment in time when I was so little, when I asked Jesus into my heart with my mom.
[00:10:33] And so one night, uh, when I was laying in bed, I said, Lord, I, I've asked you in my heart. I know I have, but I don't remember it. But tonight, I want to remember the moment that I ask you. And so at that time, I, I said, Lord, I, I love you. I, uh, believe that you died for me. I, I want to be your child and serve you however you want, want to use me.
[00:11:03] And so that was a defining moment, I think in my Christian walk, uh, with my growth, with my maturity in Christ, knowing that that was settled in my heart. I was a very shy girl, uh, growing up. In fact, I didn't wanna leave my mother's side. I, I remember one heart wrenching, miserable time I had when my mom thought it would be good for me to go to a, a Christian camp for a whole week.
[00:11:35] Well, I didn't wanna go. I didn't wanna leave home. I didn't really know anybody and, and I remember, I, I cried the whole week. I wanted to go home. I was very, I was very stressed out in, in that time and I, I thought, boy, Lord, I don't know why you allowed this to, you know, happen in my life, but I, I tell you, that was a, a moment in time in which I realized the importance of home, the, the value of family.
[00:12:07] Um, and yes, thank God for Christian camps. I just wasn't quite ready for it and I was very shy in meeting people. Another place I was really shy was at school. I would just, uh, turn beet red if I was called on. And, uh, I felt like when I talked, the things that I said didn't come out quite right.
[00:12:29] Um, so I, I, I've, I realized now that I had put a lot of pressure on myself to every, to do everything perfect. Um, and, uh, I felt like, you know, in some cases I didn't feel worthy to do things. Um, there was a lack of self-confidence, some insecurities, um, but yet as I grew in my faith and in the church, I, I began to deal with some of those things, and that was one place I always felt encouraged.
[00:13:03] Uh, the church was a place where I felt worthy. Uh, the church was a place where my confidence grew. Um, And so when I think back, this shy little girl and the struggles I had with maybe, um, confidence, to be the woman that God chose to start an international ministry of moms praying for their children in schools, I thought, boy, all glory goes to the Lord on this one, that's for sure.
[00:13:35] And, and as I thought through the growing process in my life to bring about more confidence, uh, also in leadership is he put me in charge of several things growing up. Um, my mom was instrumental in saying, you know, I think you would really be a good Sunday school teacher.
[00:13:54] Well, I think I was in the seventh grade and I had my first little Sunday school class of second graders, and I loved it. Uh, became the youth group president and then was involved with Youth for Christ in my high school and became president of that. Um, and I'm sharing these things because in the growth process of what God created for us to do, it's little by little and saying, yes, one moment at a time, and how the Lord is, is leading you.
[00:14:28] Um, the verse that I absolutely love is Ephesians 2:10, for we are God's workmanship. Created in Christ Jesus to to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
[00:14:42] When I think about that, it's like, God is the workmanship in my life. God created me. He gave me the gifts and talents that he knew along the way where he would want to use me in doing good works that he prepared in advance before the foundation of the world, he had his eyes spotted on me and had destiny for my life. Um, in Psalms 32:8, it says, I will instruct you and teach you in the way that you should go, and I will counsel you and watch over you. And that's what I've seen as I've looked back in my life, how God is taking me from one season to another, and no season is small.
[00:15:25] Uh, to not despise the small beginnings because when it's touched with the supernatural, it can just become gigantic, gigantic. And I think about that with the Ministry at Moms in Prayer International.
[00:15:40] As I married and had four children of my own, I can remember that day, um, when I sent those two oldest boys off to a junior high school and fear gripped my heart in light of knowing that I was sending them, I felt it was sending them into darkness because that there's be so much that would become against their faith in that public school. And I knew prayer was the answer. I had, uh, experienced in my own life in the different seasons, and I, but I knew that I needed to pray with somebody else, I, I, I knew the power of corporate prayer.
[00:16:21] The, the prayer principle in Matthew, where it talks about two or three gathered together in His name, praying in agreement prayer. I realized later that, that corporate prayer bringing believers together to cry out to God for whatever's on our heart, and I felt desperate that day sending my boys off to that school, especially when I heard, um, through one of the the people that work at that school that 70% of the girls were not virgins and that they had trouble with drugs and alcohol, and I thought, oh Lord, you're the victor, and we have not, because we ask not, and we need to be fighting for our children. There's a spiritual warfare going on and I, I need another mom to pray with, would you please put on my heart another mom to pray with for that school? And He did.
[00:17:17] I immediately called her and I said, you know, I just have a, a deep desire to pray for that school and our kids at that school that they would keep walking in passive righteousness, and, uh, that they would know the difference between right and wrong and choose right.
[00:17:35] There were so many things on my heart that I wanted to protect my, my boys from, and of course, um, the other children from as well. And what grew out of that was a great desire to pray for every child on that campus for their salvation. We know that our schools will change when lives are changed.
[00:17:56] And so when she said yes, uh, I told her, I said, okay, this hour that we're gonna be praying is going to be an hour of, of battle. We know that when we cry to God, the tide of battle turns and we are going to be, uh, praying throughout the whole hour. And I, I came up with a format of four steps of prayer.
[00:18:19] Uh, It's praise, confession, thanksgiving, and intercession.
[00:18:25] And throughout that hour as we started the hour out with praise, we paused, we stopped, we looked up, we didn't look at the circumstances, but we looked at our God who seated on the throne. Our God who is sovereign. He is the ruler. He is the king. He created everything in heaven and earth, uh, by His great power and His outstretched arm, it says in Jeremiah, and nothing is too difficult for Him.
[00:18:58] So when we would stop and praise God for who He is, not just about who He is, but who He really is, then when we get to that time of intercession, it was like, hey, we are praying to an Almighty God who we are praying according to His word and his will, and we can be assured that he has heard these prayers and will answer.
[00:19:22] Oh my goodness, that first year, I can't even tell you all of the answers to prayer as a result of taking that hour weekly to cry out to God. Our theme verse in Moms in Prayer International is Lamentations 2:19, arise, cry out, uh, pour your heart out like water before the face of the Lord. Lift up your hands toward Him for the lives of your children who faint from hunger at the head of every street.
[00:19:54] Many kids got saved, um, my, my children went through those years, uh, unscathed, um, we had some little situations later which, uh, uh, again, God heart our prayers and, and brought them back.
[00:20:12] But what all this to say is that God has a plan for our life, and it is for good, and it's for purpose, it's for destiny.
[00:20:22] He created us to love Him, have fellowship with Him, and to partner with Him for his kingdom, the kingdom of God here on earth. And so to take this shy little girl, uh, who uh, who was afraid to get up in front and speak and, and, uh, and, and cheer uh, has been to approximately 18 countries sharing the good news of this ministry, Moms in Prayer International, oh my goodness, the good works that God has prepared for each one of us to do if we would, but say yes, one step at a time and believe that His plan is good and whatever he has asked us to do, he will equip us and give us all we need to do it, for He has given us everything we need for life and godliness.
[00:21:19] So how to keep that passion for your mission and vision is so, so important. People are not gonna be passionate about what you're not passionate about. You can say that you belong to a prayer ministry, but if you don't pray and you're not in a group, I mean, what kind of passion is that? The vision is for every single school to be covered. Why? So that every child can be prayed for.
[00:21:46] Matthew Potter: On part two of this three part series, Fern Nichols teaches us why it's important to listen more and open up to new ideas. Great leaders have a servant attitude and lead with grace and truth. She tells us how to keep our visions alive with passion. Using her leadership, Fern has been able to change the lives of thousands of women with Moms in Prayer.
[00:22:11] Fern Nichols: As I've grown into, uh, greater leadership, uh, as founder of Moms in Prayer, with us being in over 140 countries, um, God has been very patient with me. And, uh, I have, I, I'm just gonna share with you what I have learned throughout the years of, uh, what, what are the qualities of a good leader, a spiritual leader.
[00:22:44] Um, and I believe with all my heart, the very first thing to be a good leader. Is to spend time every single day with God. There's a verse in Matthew 6 33 that says, seek first the kingdom and all these other things will be added to you.
[00:23:09] In leadership there are so many decisions that need to be made and, um, without spending that time with the God who has the wisdom, who has the knowledge, the understanding of whatever situation I might be in, or the decisions that need to be made, putting Him first and foremost, uh, every single day has given me the confidence in knowing that throughout that day, one day at a time, God will help me and guide me and take me on the best pathway for that day.
[00:23:52] Uh, being in the word daily, um, it's not only to get the wisdom and all that from the Lord, but it's also to just have sweet fellowship with Him.
[00:24:02] Uh, what I love about moms in touch and teaching us how to praise. Is to know the attributes, names, and characteristics of God. So in my personal quiet time, I'll just choose an attribute like, God is good. God, you are good. And then I'll look up scriptures that, that say that he is good.
[00:24:21] Uh, he cannot sin. Everything He does is right. Uh, so to keep that focus of my good God, uh, helping guiding me throughout that day, is such great peace, and I just, I praise it for that. I'm so grateful. I'm thankful for that.
[00:24:40] So it's not only just reading the word and saying, oh, I got my, my, my, uh, my, my prayer and Bible time in today, and off I go.
[00:24:49] No, it's reading, uh, with a meditative heart. Uh, not too fast. I, I've learned throughout the years to linger longer there, even though my to-do list is sitting right next to me and I have so much to do. Um, he has helped me throughout the years to really be able to stop and focus and, uh, well, I've heard it said that the Bible is God's love letter to us.
[00:25:18] Now, why wouldn't I wanna be all immersed in that? With my heavenly Father who, uh, who wants to talk to me, who wants to commune with me, who's waiting for me to come and, and speak to Him. So there's an abiding in Christ that happens, abiding in His peace, uh, abiding in His joy, uh, abiding in the abundant life that He came to give.
[00:25:48] And just to be reminded of that, especially in the morning before the day starts, um, and, and actually when I prayed, uh, to the Lord to give me one other mom to pray with, um, for the children in schools, it was when I was abiding. I was praying to God and then I went to this, oh God, my heart's desperate for my boys. And uh, that's when he led me to do the call to this particular woman, and the rest is history.
[00:26:18] Uh, being in our 34th year now of moms in Prayer with thousands and thousands of women's lives being changed as well as their kids in schools. And it was, it was because of that day I was abiding. We never should take, uh, for granted on one unassuming day what God will do when he shows up to speak to our heart.
[00:26:40] That's, that's pretty exciting.
[00:26:43] Um, father and daughter or father and son relationship. I also heard, and it really stuck in my heart as a leader, is, um, you will be like the one you spend the most time with. And I wanted to be like Christ as a leader. Um, a leader cannot take anybody, any, any person to a place where they have not been.
[00:27:11] And so I, I wanted to be like Christ. And the the servant leader is who Jesus was. He was a servant leader. Uh, He manifested the character of God filled with the fruit of the spirit. And so when I think about the fruit of the spirit, which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control, I can't do that in the flesh. It has to be through the power of the Holy Spirit.
[00:27:43] And that's why that morning time is so important for me, but not just the morning, but to carry that throughout the day that His ever presence is with me throughout the day. And many times throughout the day, I'll just stop and pray, Lord, I don't know what to do here.
[00:27:59] Or if there is a situation that I need to deal with one of employees, Lord I, I, I just, I wanna come across loving and I wanna be kind, um, I wanna build this person up in their faith. So throughout the day with decisions or uh, people that I need to, needed to talk to, um, I would just stop and pray. And then when we would hear of, uh, a shooting or something traumatic that was happening at a school, I'd just bring the, the staff, women together and we would pray. We would immediately pray, stop and pray so that our ever-present God was with us throughout the day in whatever we needed, if we would, and we chose to stop and look up so that servant leader of Christ, um, Is something that I continue to, to work on and I, I know not only leadership with the ministry, but my servant leadership at home.
[00:29:00] There's no mundane thing in our life when the supernatural touches it. I was thinking about, uh, the servant leadership as a mom. Oh my goodness. All the things that, you know, we do the toilets and the beds and the shopping, and we could just go on and on. But there's no mundane thing when we do it with a servant attitude like Christ.
[00:29:26] And He touches that mundane thing and He turns it into a supernatural blessing that, uh, blesses our family. So you got a mom walking around with a smile on her face and not, oh, I gotta do that again. Um, so in whatever area of our life to be Christ is the goal.
[00:29:47] And then the other, the other thing that the Lord taught me and is continuing to teach me in how to lead with grace and truth.
[00:29:58] Uh, yes, we need to be gracious. Uh, um, we need to be thinking about blessing a person and not cursing the person with negative, but how do you do that when the truth also needs to be shared? And Jesus was just so masterful at that, how He could speak such truth, but with such love and such grace and I continue to ask God to help me in those situations, to lead with grace and truth.
[00:30:35] Also, um, I think a quality of a, a, a great leader is to be humble. Uh, when we think about a humble person, it's a person that when they mess up, they admit it. They don't try to hide it or cover it up or, or when we need to ask forgiveness, I, I remember one time I didn't realize this, but I offended one of the staff people and, um, was told to me through someone else, well, I immediately invited her in and said, oh my goodness, I am so sorry, please forgive me, I didn't mean for you to feel that way.
[00:31:17] And it's very, it's very hard at times to not, um, to, to not be prideful. Uh, I mean, we have a, you know, you're a president or a founder of something, you know, you've gotta have to have this persona and, and just be perfect all the time. But I think truly it's the humble person that people gravitate to.
[00:31:42] Um, I, I, I, you know, we all deal with this at certain times, the sin of pride, you know, the desire to look perfect. Uh, the desire to be important or noticed, uh, you know, that pat on the back or you wanting the, or we wanting the, the, uh, credit for, for the success that happened? Um, I think the quality of a, uh, a gracious Christ servant leader is humble.
[00:32:19] The other thing that the Lord has been teaching me and, uh, continues to is I need to be teachable. I need to be open to new ideas. I need to listen better. I have so many thoughts and I've got so many, and it's like, how do I persuade them to come to my side? And he said, no, I want you to listen. And sometimes when we would have meetings, uh, I actually would put my hands under the desk with my palms up, and I would silently pray.
[00:32:53] Lord, help me to listen. Help me to be open to new ideas. Um, I want your will. This is what I'm thinking, but I want your will and I pray that we come to unity. So, oh my goodness, that just made me go "phew".
[00:33:09] And it was not like I had to get it done and I, my will needed to happen, but to give it, uh, to the Lord through that simple little thing that just helped me say, okay, Lord, it's yours.
[00:33:23] And then I think a leader keeps the passion. They, um, they keep the vision alive. Enthusiasm I've heard, and I believe it begets enthusiasm. I've been in this ministry 34 years. I've prayed through my children and they love the Lord, and, um, they've married spouses that love the Lord. Uh, 10 grandchildren now, nine out of the 10 who've asked jesus and to their heart, why would not I be passionate about a ministry that comes together now with other grandmothers to pray for this next generation of children?
[00:34:00] Every child needs to be prayed for, and what a joy now to pray for their schools. When I think about the thief, the enemy Satan, he comes only to steal and kill and destroy.
[00:34:13] Who's gonna rise up against that? And we have seen in our schools, the suicide, the depression, the immorality. We could just go on and on. Satan is out to, to steal and kill and destroy our children. And we're saying, Satan, you can't have him. You didn't have my children. And you're not gonna have my grandchildren.
[00:34:34] We are rising, uh, to even, I think a greater degree. When I was a mom in, Moms in Prayer, I mean, it was like we were mother bears, I mean, you know, protecting our children in prayer and the word of God. But boy, when you become a grandma, it just heightens like 10 times. I don't know. We're every wild beast in the, in the jungle when it comes to our grandchildren.
[00:34:57] So how to keep that passion for your mission and vision is so, so important. People are not gonna be passionate about what you're not passionate about. You can say that you belong to a prayer ministry, but if you don't pray and you're not in a group, I mean, what kind of passion is that?
[00:35:12] The vision is for every single school to be covered. Why? So that every child can be prayed for. For salvation for every child that God would open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God so that they'll receive forgiveness of sin and a place among those who are sanctified by faith. I said that fast, but what we're saying is God, that they might not perish, may today be the day of salvation.
[00:35:39] We pray that for the teachers, uh, for the administrators, the principals, the coaches, every, every person on that school campus. And of course for the Christian schools, if they go to Christian school, we pray, Lord, no apathy at this school, just la, la, la, oh, we're saved, and you know, we don't need to pray much. No!
[00:35:59] Satan wants also to steal and kill and destroy, uh, them as well, and that's why this ministry arrived. So keep the passion alive, whatever that means. I mean, be, be in the word. All the things that I'm talking about here as far as a leader. Um, build up your faith. See answers to prayer in your life. Ask big.
[00:36:25] We're not beggars coming into the back door of the Almighty throne of God, no, we're His children, the scepter is held out and he says, what do you want me to do for you? Oh Lord, I have a, I have a grandchild who's just a little might of a thing and he wants to play football, and his parents said Yes, and then as my heart went to, but oh Lord, he's so little and they're so big and he's gonna get hurt. And the Lord said, okay, now who's suffering? Oh, yes, Lord, oh, you, you'll protect him. I ask that you would protect him. I pray father, that uh, it would be a good ex and that I go on and on.
[00:37:05] So, um, yeah, even now after I should have the, but it keeps it alive when God is testing us, when we trust God or not, or will we go to fear? Will we be anxious? Will we be shaken? Well, we don't need to be. Not if we're God's child.
[00:37:25] Um, the other thing, uh, as far as leadership is concerned, I think it's very important that we have accountability. In the Moms in Prayer ministry, we have an amazing board of about 12 men and women who are passionate about this ministry.
[00:37:46] But, um, but I am accountable to, and the, the president now who I handed off that baton too, is now accountable to very, very important that we have accountability in our spiritual walk, and also what we do in the ministry that we're keeping spot on with the mission.
[00:38:06] Moms in Prayer international impacts children in schools for Christ by gathering mothers to pray.
[00:38:13] We're not off on any other, no, for 34 years, that has been our mission and we need to be accountable to it. Don't listen to the lies of the enemy, uh, because he wants to wipe you out. He wants to to, to make you feel like the good works that God planned for you, uh, in advance are really not good works at all.
[00:38:36] And, um, and look at where you are now. So we must not listen to the lies of the enemy. Go to the word, hear what your heavenly Father has to say. I mean, I think God still almost all the time that how God reached down his hand from on high and delivered my son from Satan's desire to destroy him. And Satan wants to destroy our ministries too.
[00:39:03] He wants to destroy your family. He wants to destroy your marriage. Don't listen to the lies of the enemy, so that, With, with those kinds of leadership thoughts, um, I am so grateful that the God creator of heaven and earth is on my side and if He's on my side, who can be against me.
[00:39:30] So this is what I pray, and it takes a long time to pray for your children and grandchildren and your greats.
[00:39:36] And you know, and I pray for salvation for every single one. I pray that none would be lost. It's not God's will that any should perish, but all come to repentance. So long after I'm in heaven, that prayer is continuing on. God is hurted and answering in the lives of my descendants. That just gets me so excited that I am a part of their lives through prayer when I'm in heaven with with my savior, I pray, big prayers now, I mean before it was like, uh, prayers I thought God could answer, but no, I gotta be praying prayers that, um, are impossible to answer, but not impossible with God. So I pray that they would enthusiastically embrace the truth, that their passion and their vision would to be love and serve God wholeheartedly.
[00:40:41] Matthew Potter: On part three of this three part series, we learned that the legacy of Fern Nichols wants to leave behind is a legacy of faith and prayer. Prayer is the greatest investment someone can make in their life, and Fern believes it will impact future generations for the good. Fern hopes that we will all fulfill the legacy of faith, love, joy and prayer.
[00:41:09] Fern Nichols: My mother left me a legacy of faith in prayer, and that is the legacy I want to leave with my children. And my grandchildren. And great-grandchildren. Legacy is what we've passed down from generation to generation. What are the most important things we can pass down? You know, is it treasures that we build up here on earth or is it treasures in heaven?
[00:41:48] You know, our, our life is influential, every single day we have influence, and our life will impact future generations. What we do or what we don't do will impact future generations to my children and my grandchildren. And I'm so grateful that God started our spiritual legacy when my mom asked Jesus into her heart passed down to me, and I personally, I, I couldn't, uh, swing it on the coattail coattails of my mother. I had to be a personal relationship with me and then passing it down to my, my children, uh, being very intentional as I raised them, that the word of God was read in our home, that we went to church, that faith was built up, that prayers were prayed, and then praise God, each one, uh, asked Christ into their life.
[00:42:55] It's, it's an eternal, wonderful investment when we pass down the legacy of faith and prayer to our children, and, and the prayer is the greatest, I believe, the greatest investment that you can make. It really does lay up riches that last forever. Uh, and the older I get, the, the more I realize that my praying here on earth for my children and their spouses and grandchildren, um, I mean, I'm not gonna be here forever, but I love this quote by E.M. Bounds, and he says: god shapes the world by prayer. Prayers are deathless. Woo-hoo. The lips that uttered them may be closed in death. The heart that felt them may have ceased to beat, but the prayers live before God and God's heart is set on them, and prayers outlive the lives of those who uttered them. Outlive a generation, outlive in age and outlive a world.
[00:44:13] And I'm saying, yes, somebody said. I think, I don't know who it was, but they said, I tell you, our, our, uh, our family and the generations after, I mean, we're, you know, we're the hound of heaven on them until they give their lives to the Lord and fulfill the destiny that God has for them.
[00:44:32] And then I thought, you know what, we are just following Jesus example because Jesus prayed in John 17:20. As he was praying for His disciples, He says, my prayer is not for them alone. I pray for those who will believe in me through their message. He was praying for me. He was praying for you.
[00:45:02] Those prayers that he prayed for them in John 17 were the very same prayers generationally down until He comes. He prayed for us and I thought, oh, whoa, this is wonderful. So I thought, what is He? Here's some of the things He prayed. Protect them from the evil one. Oh, He's praying, he's our intercessor, he's our high priest.
[00:45:25] He is praying for us every single day, and what a joy being a part of the kingdom of priests to join Him. And not only thanking Him that those prayers were being prayed for for me and my family, but now I get to also generationally pass down that prayer to protect each one of my descendants from the evil one.
[00:45:48] What joy is that? And then Jesus prayed that, oh, that they would have the joy that Father you and I have. And I thought, oh, that's unity. And that's what we can pray and pass down. And that He prayed for us that we would be sanctified with, that we would become holy by His word because His word is truth.
[00:46:10] And so I pray for my, my children, grandchildren, and those descendants, I don't even know because I will be in heaven, that the word of God would dwell in them richly and that they would be made holy by the word that they would love the word and that they would be obedient to the world because it's God's now speaking voice and he wants to speak to each one of my descendants.
[00:46:35] So this is what I pray, and it takes a long time to pray for your children and grandchildren and your greats, and. You know, and I pray for salvation for every single one. I pray that none would be lost. It's not God's will that any should perish, but all come to repentance so long after I'm in heaven, that prayer is continuing on.
[00:46:56] God is hurted in answering in the lives of my descendants. That just gets me so excited that I am a part of their lives through prayer when I'm in heaven with with my savior. I pray big prayers now. I mean before it was like, uh, prayers I thought God could answer, but no, I gotta be praying prayers that, um, are impossible to answer, but not impossible with God.
[00:47:28] So I pray that they would enthusiastically embrace the truth, that their passion and their vision were to be loved and serve God wholeheartedly, that they would love righteousness and hate evil now, now remember, these are the prayers I'm praying for the descendants of the Arley Nichols, and that's my husband's name, the Arley Nichols line, starting from my mom, that they would each marry godly spouses, that they would not be unequally yoked.
[00:48:05] Um, I also pray a bold prayer that there would be no divorce in the Arley Nichols line. I pray that they would fulfill the destiny for their lives, that God was good works, that God prepared for them in advance before they were even born, that God planned for them, that they would walk in path of righteousness for His namesake.
[00:48:30] That they, there's a, Jesus said to the disciples, you know, I want you to pray that the Lord of the harvest will sin forth workers, laborers in the harvest fields, and I pray that for each one of my descendants, no matter what occupation God calls into, that they would see that as their mission field, that they would be salt and light.
[00:48:55] I, I heard this phrase once and I loved it, and I stole it. That my descendants would be used by God to change the world for Christ, not just survive in it. Every descendant to be a Jesus lover, every descendant to be intercessors, be prayers joining and cope, um, partnering with Christ in the things that God wants to do on the earth.
[00:49:24] I pray that they would stand firm in all the will of God. That they would set their minds on things above that they'd be strong in the Lord, in the power of His mind, putting on the whole armor of God.
[00:49:35] Oh yes, that is the legacy I wanna pray and leave and give to my descendants. And then also I want to be a model to them of a legacy of faith that I will faithfully serve the Lord until he takes me home. That he is the author and the finisher of my faith. Um, the legacy that I wanna leave in this ministry, that generation after generation moms will continue to gather together. This is such an unselfish ministry and not only pray for our children, but every child, every child.
[00:50:15] In fact, when I, when I prayed for Trisha, my daughter's, um, friend in high school and he was just a friend, but he didn't know Jesus and we prayed for him, uh, for a long time and, um, that it was just a glorious moment when he gave his life to Christ. And little did I know that six years later he would marry my daughter.
[00:50:38] So we never know who we pray for in high school that could eventually belong, belong to our family. So as long as I have breath, I wanna be faithful to my family and prayer and faithful to this ministry and to think that this ministry can go on generation after generation if the Lord tears knowing that children around the world will be prayed for and the schools that they attend.
[00:51:07] As long as I have breath, um, I know He is still getting glory from me because I'm still breathing and so I want to make each day count. We should anyway, but I think it's just important for us to be reminded of that every single day is important and, and my ministry prayer and my ministry verse is, Lord, even when I'm old and gray, do not forsake me, oh God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come.
[00:51:41] And what a joy to be able to do that now with my grandchildren. And when I think about legacies left and I think about the Old Testament and just the amazing testimonies of of their lives. I mean, I love Deborah. I mean, Deborah said, okay, this is enough. Village life has ceased here. The enemy has come. We're hiding out in our homes. This is enough. She says the village life ceased, ceased until I, Deborah arose a mother in Israel, and that's what's happening all over the world. Mothers of whatever, um, culture, land, tribe, nation, they are saying, enough, Satan, you cannot have our children. Enough, and we are a rising, so we're the Deborahs.
[00:52:33] And then I love Caleb because Caleb, I mean, my goodness, at 85 years old, he says, give me this mountain. And as long as, as I have breath, I wanna be getting the new mountains that God might have for me as I wanted to be faithful and finish the race. Um, and that, and that's one little thing that I wanna close with here about is our race.
[00:52:59] In Hebrews 12:1-2 it says, my Lord, let me throw off everything that hinders me and let me run with perseverance the race marked out for me, fixing my eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith. What I love about that is the race marked out for me, and when I think of, you know, a race and all the different runners that are in their lane, what can happen, uh, is that we can look at the other person in their lane and they could be ahead of us, and then we can get down on ourself because we're not doing enough or this or that. Or we could look to the left of us and see the one following us, and then maybe pride could puff up because, oh, look at where I am.
[00:53:45] No.
[00:53:47] Our legacy to the time that the Lord takes us home. Is to run in the lane marked out for me. Paul says, I consider my life worth nothing to me. If only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me. So when we run in our lane and leave the legacy of faith and prayer, and fulfill the destiny that God has for us, the good works that he planned for us to do before the foundation of the world in our lane, we keep our eyes on a finish line.
[00:54:35] And who is there? Jesus. Jesus is there. And I can just say, yeah, good job. Come on. You can do it. I'll give you the strength. And then in this lane, if we fall, he's there to help pick us back up. Come on, we'll go. We'll do it. Oh, may we all fulfill the legacy of faith and love and joy and prayer.
[00:55:16] Matthew Potter: Prayer is a powerful way to connect with God, allowing us to share our cares, fears, hopes, and gratitude directly with Him. There are no set rules or specific times for prayer. Jesus taught us to simply pray with a meditative heart, open to God's guidance and trusting in His wisdom. Through prayer, we access God's counsel compassion and understanding, reminding us that we are never alone.
[00:55:43] In this episode of Relentless Hope, Fern Nichols, the founder of Moms in Prayer International, emphasizes the importance of lingering in prayer. She reveals how her journey began with a heartfelt prayer expressing her fears for her children.
[00:55:58] Fern demonstrates that God has a growth process for each of us, leading us step by step as we engage in constant communion with Him.
[00:56:07] Fern highlights the significance of leaders dedicating time to prayer, seeking God's counsel in daily decision making, she shares valuable leadership qualities such as grace, truth, humility, passion, teachability and accountability.
[00:56:23] Moreover, Fern's devotion to leaving a legacy of faith through prayer inspires reflection on the treasures we pass down from generation to generation. She encourages us to bring our seemingly impossible prayers to God, acknowledging that nothing is impossible for Him.
[00:56:42] Daily prayer has transformative power, deepening our fellowship with God and reminding us that He is always present. Through prayer we find comfort, wisdom, courage, grace, and a sense of companionship. Embracing prayer and inviting God into our hearts is a meaningful choice that brings us closer to him.
[00:57:02] If this episode of Relentless Hope has inspired you, please share this with someone you love.
[00:57:07] You never know the positive impact you can have on someone's life. Thank you for listening. I'm Matthew Potter, and remember to give hope a voice.
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