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Moms in Prayer International
Brief History of Moms in Prayer International
In the fall of 1984, Fern Nichols’ two eldest children were entering junior high school. Her heart was heavy and burdened with concern as she knew they would be facing their greatest test in resisting immoral values, vulgar language, peer pressure and philosophies that could undermine their faith. She cried out to the Lord asking Him to protect them, to enable them to see clearly the difference between right and wrong, and to make good decisions.
The burden to intercede for her boys was overwhelming. She asked God to give her another mom who felt the same burden, and who would be willing to pray with her concerning their children and their school. God heard the cry of her heart and led her to another mom who shared her burden. Others were invited to come, and they began meeting the following week for prayer.
This was the beginning of Moms In Touch International, now called Moms in Prayer International. As moms began sharing what God had been doing in their lives, and in the lives of their children through prayer, other groups began to spring up all over British Columbia, where they were living at the time.
The summer of 1985 brought a change to Fern’s family as they moved from Abbotsford, British Colombia, to Poway, California. She soon discovered that God had given her still greater opportunities for carrying on the work that began in Canada. Once again she prayed that God would raise up moms who were willing to “stand in the gap” for their children. That fall, Fern began the first Moms In Touch/Moms in Prayer group for Poway High School, and soon many other groups began to form for schools in that district. This grassroots effort spread quickly as moms prayed for groups to start around the state and across the nation.
The fall of 1987 brought the first published ministry Booklet, and in January of 1988 the first ministry retreat was held with 35 women. They prayed for national exposure, and God answered their prayers that spring when Fern got a call from a producer at Focus on the Family. That May she and twelve other moms were on the air talking to Dr. James Dobson! That first radio program brought more than 20,000 responses.
Today, Moms in Prayer International has groups in every state in the USA and in more than 130 countries worldwide. The ministry Booklet has been translated into more than 45 languages.
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