The Family Disciple Me Podcast // Discipleship Starts With a Conversation

March MISSION Madness: The Story of Monica: A Mother's Faith that Transformed History // Galatians 5:16

• Tosha Williams for FDM • Season 5 • Episode 25

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This month, we continue celebrating the lives of those who lived radically, even "madly," for Jesus. And few lived a more persistent, passionate, and prayer-fueled life than Saint Monica, the mother of Saint Augustine—one of the greatest theologians in Christian history. 

Join me, Tosha Williams, and my friend Wendy Hickox as we dive into talking about this incredible woman of prayer. Her story is not one of grand sermons, dramatic miracles, or public ministry. Instead, she lived out a quiet, determined, and fiercely faithful life—a life that seemed foolish to some but was profoundly powerful in the Kingdom of God. Her "madness" was relentless prayer, sacrificial love, and unshakable hope in the face of heartbreak. 

Her life exemplifies the truth of James 5:16:  “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." James 5:16 (NIV)

In our culture that celebrates independence, instant gratification, and self-reliance, Monica’s relentless faith looks foolish. A mother weeping over a rebellious son for seventeen years? The world might call that madness. We call it crazy amazing. Monica’s life challenges us to keep praying and trust God to work in the hearts of those we love. 

He calls us to live boldly, trust fiercely, and pray relentlessly. He calls us to live crazy amazing lives for Jesus—not because we see immediate results, but because we serve a God who is always at work.

Listen in on this podcast, then spend some time with the Lord about praying like Monica. "Seek Him Speak Him" with this devotion-driven-discipleship guide on Galatians 5:16.

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The Family Disciple Me ministry exists to catalyze devotion driven discipleship in our homes and around the world. We believe that discipleship starts with a conversation, and FDM provides free, easily-accessible, biblical resources to encourage these meaningful conversations along life's way. Sign up through our website to be "the first to know" about upcoming releases and resources (including the FDM App - coming soon!!!) You can also follow Family Disciple Me on social media.

Family Disciple Me is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit ministry, and all donations are tax deductible. More information, blogs, statement of faith and contact info can be found at familydiscipleme.org

Speaker 1:

Here's a newsflash for the world. March isn't just about basketball brackets and buzzer beaters. What I know this month with Family Disciple Me, we're talking about March Mission Madness, that's right. It's a journey through the lives of people who lived boldly and sacrificially for Jesus. These are the people who defied expectations. They persevered, Wendy, against all odds and they left a legacy that echoes still today.

Speaker 2:

I don't know about you, Tasha, but I've been so encouraged by our past podcast all about these women that have really set the limit so high, raised the bar.

Speaker 1:

Raised the bar. That's right, Wendy. I'm so glad that you're continuing with me as we record these podcast episodes. We're here in my co-office and working together, fulfilling a dream together.

Speaker 2:

Yes, it's been many years coming. I feel that we've been waiting to do this for so many years, and the timing just hasn't been right. So here we are.

Speaker 1:

That's right. Here we are. Thank you for joining me, Wendy. And today I want us to talk about one of my favorite people in history.

Speaker 2:

I can only imagine. I feel like every time we've talked, you have a new lovely, amazing, courageous woman or God-fearing person to talk about. So I can't wait to hear today who we're really going to dig into their life.

Speaker 1:

I love history, wendy, and I know, as a teacher, you love history too. So, yes, honestly, I have so many favorites. Yes, but this woman has always personally inspired me, and her name is Monica.

Speaker 2:

Oh Well, I know that we've talked about her before, but I'm excited to even dig in further.

Speaker 1:

Yes, I don't even know Monica's last name, but she echoes through history as somebody who changed the course of the world because she was a woman who lived out crazy, amazing faith by being a mom who prayed.

Speaker 2:

Oh, you mean this madness for Christ that we're going into this month and we're seeing madness boldness for Jesus.

Speaker 1:

That's right. She had crazy, amazing faith and she never gave up praying, no matter how hard it was. So I want us to talk about her next. I want us to look at her life, dive in just a little bit deeper, and I'm hoping that everybody listening will be as encouraged by her crazy, amazing faith, as encouraged as I've been. I can't wait. Let's go ahead and cue the intro, and then we'll be right back to share more about the amazing life of Monica, the prayer warrior, mother of St Augustine.

Speaker 3:

Welcome to the Family Disciple Me podcast. If you have a real relationship with Jesus, then you're in the right place to be encouraged, challenged and blessed as you seek Him, speak Him. The mission of the Family Disciple Me ministry is to inspire devotion-driven discipleship, which is something we believe every Christ follower can do driven discipleship, which is something we believe every Christ follower can do.

Speaker 1:

Discipleship starts with a conversation, so let's get going with that right now. Wendy, I am so happy that today we get to continue this conversation. We're in our series.

Speaker 2:

March Mission Madness, and I'm already so encouraged by it. It is so encouraging to be right back here in the Cloffice and know that all month long we've been telling stories of people who lived out bold, sacrificial faith, people the world might have overlooked but whom God used to change history. And today, tasha, we're focusing on a mother whose prayers literally shaped the future of Christianity.

Speaker 1:

Yes, her prayers changed history, but more than anything, her prayers changed her son. This woman is one of my most favorite heroes from the history of the world. She has impacted my life so much. And really she was not somebody who was glamorous, she wasn't a queen, she wasn't a writer. I don't think she was rich, she certainly wasn't famous. She was just a mom. But this mom affected the course of history and her name is Monica. She was the mother of St Augustine and well, she's proof that persistent prayer is never wasted, even when it looks foolish to the world Tasha.

Speaker 2:

That brings us to our anchor verse, and that verse is 1 Corinthians 1, 18.

Speaker 1:

That's right. That verse says the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.

Speaker 2:

I just love this verse, tasha. I love it because it reminds us that God's ways often seem upside down. The world would say why waste your time praying for someone who isn't even interested in God? But Monica's story, well, it proves that God is always at work, even when we don't see it, tasha.

Speaker 1:

That's so encouraging and that's what we want to explore today, wendy how God used Monica's so-called foolish faithfulness to bring one of the greatest minds in Christian history, her son St Augustine, to salvation.

Speaker 2:

Well, right now, I think let's just dig in, unpack her story, look at what we can learn from her faith and, as always, talk about how we can first seek him and then turn around and speak him to all those that are entrusted to us.

Speaker 1:

All right, well, with that, let's just set the scene for her life Now. Monica. She was born in North Africa in the fourth century. She was married off to a man whose name was Patricius, a man who is not only an unbeliever, but he was known for having a really bad temper, for being really harsh. He lived a very reckless life.

Speaker 2:

And yet, monica, during this time, she remained faithful not only to her marriage but to her commitment to pray for her husband and children. Eventually, her husband actually converted to Christianity, which is amazing.

Speaker 1:

That is amazing. I believe that he came to Christ on his deathbed. So I'm not sure how many years they were married, but she prayed for him and lived a life of faith as his wife for their whole marriage, and it wasn't until the end of his life that he came to Christ, but he did come to Christ. What an amazing example of continuing to pray for an unbelieving spouse. And yet the real challenge that she had in prayer and I can appreciate this as a mom her greatest challenge was with her son, augustine. Augustine was brilliant. He was brilliant, but he was also rebellious. He rejected Christianity and he got involved in a false religion called Manichaeism something like that, Wendy, I don't know how to say it. But even more than that, as he was exploring these twisted forms of spirituality, he was also living a very indulgent, sexually reckless lifestyle.

Speaker 2:

I can only imagine that that really broke Monica's heart. I mean as a mom, as moms out there, parents out there, you know how that feels when your children are doing something other than what you know they should be doing. But she knew that the world saw her son as successful. But she also knew he was lost and I know what that feels like. And so she did what she knew best.

Speaker 1:

She prayed. Isn't that an amazing example. And she didn't just pray, she pursued her son. She followed him from North Africa to Italy, pleading with God every step along the way for her son's salvation.

Speaker 2:

I can only imagine following my children. I mean, as you know, Tasha, I have a child that's getting ready to get married and she's moving off to Florida. I think I would follow her anywhere.

Speaker 1:

Well, and back in the fourth century, for Monica to follow Augustine travel was hard, but she was so committed to her son's walk with God and him knowing Jesus that she pursued him with pleading, with prayers, even potentially with travel, as she was going after him so that he would know Jesus better.

Speaker 2:

She was intentional about her prayers that he would know Jesus better. She was intentional about her prayers, is what I hear you saying. She was an intentional mom Intentional, and, I think, to myself she went back and she went to the bishop and she begged him to talk to Augustine.

Speaker 1:

And I can understand that, because when there's a really hard situation, we go to our spiritual leaders and say give me wisdom for this situation, Guide me through this situation, Pray with me through this situation. And that's what Monica did. She went to her bishop and I love this famous quote that came down through history when the bishop saw how distraught she was for the sake of her son's spiritual walk with God, for the sake of her son getting his life right. This is what that bishop told her. He said go, go, leave him alone, Just continue to pray to the Lord for him. And here's the part of the quote that just echoes through my heart, Wendy. Part of the quote that just echoes through my heart, Wendy. This bishop said it is impossible that a son of so many tears should perish.

Speaker 2:

Oh, my goodness, the tears that she must have cried for her son and that that bishop saw that and knew that this man would come back to Christ because of her prayers.

Speaker 1:

And that word of encouragement from that bishop, who would be the equivalent, like one of our pastors today, that word of encouragement gave her the strength to keep going, to keep praying.

Speaker 2:

And her prayers. They were answered in the most incredible way. Augustine eventually met Bishop Ambrose I believe was his name who helped lead him to Christ At the age of 31,. After years of running from God, augustine had a radical conversion.

Speaker 1:

He did. He did. Monica lived long enough to see Augustine not only be baptized but be fully committed to Christ. She didn't live very much longer after that, though. She died within the year and she had given her life. As I look back on history and I've read her story, I feel like that she took her life force and she poured it out in prayer for her son. I wish we knew more about her other two children, whether they walked with God, how she pursued them in prayer, but she lived long enough to see Augustine come to the Lord, and because he was such a prolific writer, I believe he's the one that recorded these words of his mother and she said there was indeed one thing for which I wished to tarry a little in this life, and that was that I might see you a Christian before I died. My God has exceeded this abundantly.

Speaker 2:

Wow, not only did God answer her prayers, but he allowed her to live just long enough to actually visually see her son come to Christ.

Speaker 1:

When I think about Monica and I've talked about her story with other women through the years I know that there's some women who pray for a prodigal, who well, the prodigal returns within a few months, and that's amazing. I get so happy with stories like that.

Speaker 1:

But I also know there's stories of mothers who've prayed to their deathbed and didn't get to see their children come back to faith. Their prodigals returned to the Lord, but they kept praying, and then I can only imagine them on the other side literally sitting next to the throne after they enter glory and they're still praying and that's when their child comes to faith. You know, Monica's story reminds us of this powerful truth from James, chapter 5, verse 16, part B, and it says the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely and we saw that in her life. We can see that from the reading, from St Augustine's reading, the prodigal that she was praying for.

Speaker 1:

Became one of the greatest theologians in church history. Monica's prayers were powerful even when it seemed like nothing was happening. I'm certain that it looked like madness to the world that she kept praying so much, that she kept going to her bishops, her pastors, her spiritual leaders. Asking other people to pray with her probably looked like madness. And yet what is madness or foolishness to the world is the power of God.

Speaker 2:

And I also think about 1 Thessalonians, 5, 16 through 18, where it says be joyful, always, pray continually. I can only imagine that she was praying continually. The story shows that she was on her knees praying for her prodigal son, and sure enough, it happened. But in 18, it says give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Speaker 1:

She lived that out, amen, she lived that out and she is such an inspiration to me to continue to live that out in my life as well, and to everyone who is the parent of a prodigal. Let's make it personal. Who is it that you need to be persistently praying for? It may be madness your prodigal child, or your prodigal friend, or, let's just say, your prodigal parent. A prodigal, in my opinion, is anybody who has walked away from the Lord. Who is that person in your life that you need to keep praying for? Maybe it's your spouse, maybe it's a friend, but are you willing to lean into prayer and trust that God is working, even when continuing to lean into God and to hope and to trust and to pray, even when that looks like foolishness to the world? And let's be real.

Speaker 2:

It does look like foolishness to the world Today. It looks foolish to always be praying, to have that hope, to have that joy. But because Christ died for us, we do have that joy, we do have that faith and it's okay to look foolish and know that our God will answer. That's right.

Speaker 1:

I love this quote that Augustine later wrote about his mother. His testimony about her was she wept for me as one who weeps for the dead by her tears and prayers. She gave birth to me twice, once to the flesh and once to the spirit.

Speaker 2:

Now, that's the kind of legacy we can leave when we refuse to give up.

Speaker 1:

I want to be that kind of mom that never quits, that never gives up, that continues to pray without ceasing. So, as we wrap up, I think it's worthy for us to ask ourselves who are we praying for? Where do we need to trust God more, and how can I encourage someone else to stay faithful, and I think it's important to remember, even when it looks like nothing is changing.

Speaker 2:

God is working just like he did for Monica.

Speaker 1:

So I have to close with a tiny little story. Before COVID lockdown quarantine happened back in 2020, in 2019, I got to go on a trip with Compassion International to Peru. It was amazing. Well, our last night there maybe the night before the last night we were in this town and we were staying in a hotel that was built on top of an Augustinian monastery. Oh wow.

Speaker 1:

Now I don't know that much about Augustinian monasteries, but I was so curious about the history of the place. It was beautiful, it just inspired me with so much awe. I couldn't get over it. So I was trying to understand this hotel and the history. I couldn't get over it. So I was trying to understand this hotel and the history and I saw that every Augustinian monastery had a street next to it named after his mother. Oh, my goodness, wow. So I grabbed my friend, my new friend on the trip, and I said will you help me go look for this street? So it was in the middle of this town in Peru, but we walked the city block around this hotel and, sure enough, the back alleyway was named Monica.

Speaker 2:

Now that mother had influence on her son.

Speaker 1:

It just painted such a picture to me that we may be the road through which our children walk back to Jesus.

Speaker 2:

Wow, the intentional prayers that she had for her son leads to that road. That's right.

Speaker 1:

That's right. I'm so encouraged. I hope you've been encouraged, Wendy. As we close this episode, will you pray for all of us?

Speaker 2:

Absolutely Dear Heavenly Father. Thank you, lord Jesus, for the story of Monica and her son, st Augustine. What an example of a woman who was on her knees and believed, lord Jesus, in you and your power, for to the world it looked like foolishness, but, lord, that foolishness was used by you, the power of God, to bring her son around, to make impact for generations upon generations. May we be the people that make impact for the next generation. Let us be intentional in our discipleship, in our conversations. Lord, we thank you for who you are and what you have provided for us. It's in your precious and heavenly name we pray.

Speaker 1:

Amen, amen precious and heavenly name we pray, amen, amen. Now, friend, let's go live this March Mission madness. Let's be in the game on the front lines following Jesus. Until next time, be encouraged.

Speaker 3:

Thanks for joining us in this podcast episode. You can find the matching conversation guide in the show notes. To get the latest updates about the Family Disciple Me ministry, as well as word about our soon-to-be-released app, sign up to be the first to know at familydisciplemeorg. Also, if you enjoyed this podcast, help us get the word out by leaving us a review on your favorite podcast platform. God bless you, friend. Now go seek him. Speak him.