Have you ever heard a child pray? If not, I highly recommend you encourage children to pray if even just to hear what words they put together to speak to Jesus. Then YOU, adult, listen carefully—there are no pretenses with children. They are direct and often to the point. Very specific. "God thank you for this food. Amen" is the prayer of my young cousins over dinner. Us adults then celebrate and praise them.
I’ve experienced many children filled with joy to be acknowledged getting it (prayer) right: “Thank you Jesus for my mommy, daddy, and toys.” The idea of “getting it right” here is the simplicity. When Jesus said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:3 NIV).” While this verse is extremely rich with meaning, I think maybe He was trying to say to us, “be simple.” In other words, adults, please do not take away a child’s imagination. It may seem silly to us grown-ups who have become desensitized by to evil in this world, but remember this: God said, “let there be… and there was…” (Genesis 1). Wouldn’t it be something if we had the faith to speak a thing and it be so (Romans 4:17)? I believe we can. The world calls it "affirmations" or speaks lightly of "speaking it into existence", but prior to pop culture terminology, these words and phrases originated in the bible.
As I have matured and acquired more words in my vocabulary, praying has no doubt become more difficult for me. How? I have no idea. So, if the little ones can get it right, where do us adults often get it wrong? Why do we get it wrong, make things complicated, then think God does not answer our prayers? I am still on my own personal journey, seeking answers to these questions.
I believe in my heart God is way more excited than I am for my cousins when you (God's children), pray to Him. It never has to be long. Your prayer doesn't even have to include words. Sometimes life has become so rough that all we have are groans. But you know what? God made languages...He made translations, emotions, etc. He KNOWS what's in your heart that you cannot say or emote. The bible says:"26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God (Romans 8:26-27 NIV)."
My grandma has always said, "encouragement strengthens labor" and would you know it? She's right! I'm sorry if no one taught you how to pray. I am sorry you were not encouraged by those closest to you. But when you decide to try, I promise I'll be there in the spirit encouraging and cheering you on, my brother and my sister. I pray God grants you the courage to just begin.
So, how do you pray like a child?
You don’t have to complicate prayer for God to hear you. If He hears the little ones, does He not also hear you?
Even you can pray...
The first prayer I learned as a child is one that I still recall today. I have tried to find it on Google over the years to make sure I can pass down the correct words to my children someday, but it’s possible that this prayer is very old, and very specific to my Jamaican culture, as I have not been able to find it.
Mama, Papa
all the day long
Make me a good little girl
to love and to fear God
for Christ sake
Amen.
My mother taught me this prayer and we would say it together before bed.
“As You lay me down to sleep
I pray the Lord my soul to keep
If I should die before I wake
I pray the Lord my soul to take.”
During my teenage years, this is how I figured I could include everyone when I would pray.
“As You lay me down to sleep
I pray the Lord my soul to keep
If I should die before I wake
I pray the Lord my soul to take.”
The Lord’s prayer is well known by many worldwide. I’ve rehearsed it since I was a very little girl. However, here’s a truth of mine: It was not until September 2018 at twenty-seven years old that I knew The Lord’s prayer was actually found in the bible. I stumbled upon it while doing a challenge with Pastor John Gray’s church where I hoped to learn more about Jesus from reading (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) the accounts from some of Jesus’ disciples while He walked the earth during the time of His ministry to His crucifixion. Jesus said, “this, then, is how you should pray:" (Matthew 6:9 NIV)
“Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil:
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.
Amen."
-Matthew 6:10-13 KJV
Encouragement to get you by
9/9/19
Hello Friends! I encourage you this week to remember why you first started. Why did you choose this job, school, home, spouse? Whatever or whomever you have chosen, remember that having a choice is indeed a privilege. I pray you do not take this for granted. You CAN reclaim the passion you first had for your choice. I believe it is yours in Jesus' name.
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