By Dr. Kristen Barnes-Holiday, Ph.D., Contributing Columnist
During Black History Month, I was recollecting my experiences as an African American woman, and I could not help but consider the idea of Blackness in America through the lens of my great-great-great grandmother. A slave, born in the early 1800s, believed to have been enslaved in Georgia, likely had dreams and goals, and though the confines of enslavement killed her dreams, she still lived a life placing faith and Jesus Christ at the nucleus of her existence.
Now, it might sound weird for me to iterate these words knowing that I’ve never physically met Rosa Ford, but through familial folklore, I’ve come to know a woman who eventually became a free woman (thank God for the Emancipation Proclamation), and thereafter, walked the entire South in search of her enslaved children, eventually finding all of them except one child.
This might be heavy, so let’s collectively pause. Breathe. And then imagine her journey if just for a brief second. Though it might seem impossible to fathom her perseverance—truth be told, many African Americans are the descendants of powerful and praying Queens, who did not have the authority or autonomy to do anything BUT look to God for freedom and guidance.
Those prayers that they’ve prayed have reached down to — and through — generations giving us that divine push to persevere despite obstacles. You know, there’s an old song that plays in my mind as I utter these words, and I can hear the tambourine playing and the down-home southern hum with a slight foot tap. “Somebody prayed for me/ Had me on their mind/ They took the time and prayed for me.”
I firmly believe that we are covered because of the prayers that our ancestors prayed. And I’m certain that being stuck in positions of powerlessness without any autonomy fostered prayers that only people—enslaved people, turned freed people— like Grandmother Rosa could pray.
Just like Grandmother Rosa, Hagar too was a slave—the slave girl of Sarai and Abram. She was responsible for carrying Sarai’s child, as Sarai could not bear children. Just to provide more context, Sarai took matters into her own hands, as she desperately wanted to become a mother. In fact, as we navigate Genesis 16 it becomes obvious that both Sarai and Abram were operating out of alignment with God’s will for their lives. In Genesis 16:3-4, the Word says, Then Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan. So, he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress became despised in her eyes.”
This passage not only highlights Sarai’s impatience with the Lord, but it also illuminates Abram’s exhaustion. For 10 years, he had been waiting for the Lord to fulfill His promise of descendants SO he (and his wife) finally folded—you know, gave in and he did what they had to do and wanted to do to establish his (their) lineage. They were vulnerable.
Hagar conceived. And as a result, Sarai was angry, and she envied her slave. Sarai’s disdain soon turned into repeated abuse, forcing Hagar to run away. As a runaway slave, God met her in the wilderness, encouraging her to go back to her owners. And, it was also in this space of overwhelm and confusion where she prayed a powerful prayer, “You-Are-The-God-Who-Sees.” She knew that if God could meet her in the wilderness, then God could also see her through her pain and the promise of birthing a son, Ishmael, who would become a promise fulfilled—the father of many generations.
That prayer that Hagar prayed speaks to the power in generational prayer.
As Believers, it ought to be our daily responsibility to pray and then let God handle the rest.
May we all know that we are living examples of the prayers that our ancestors prayed.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers and mother figures. If this day is difficult for you, know that I will be holding you up in prayer.
Until next time…
Love and blessings.
Dr. Kristen Barnes-Holiday, Ph.D. is a professor of English at Wayne County Community College District, a second-year divinity student at Duke University, and a Christian blogger. In addition, she is a teacher, preacher, and lifelong student of the Word of Jesus Christ.
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