Simple Prayers

Praying with your child is a sweet thing. It's kind of like a roller coaster too. In the beginning Gracie was eager to listen to us pray. Then she started participating with her sweet little sentiments here and there. Then she started refusing to pray. What parent finds comfort in the fact that their child doesn't want to talk to God? Definitely not this one.

I decided that pushing the prayer was not a good thing. I could not make her talk to God and I really shouldn't. Instead I started making the prayers simple. I would ask her if she wanted to pray and then when she said, "no" I would say a simple prayer for the both of us.

Recently we have started asking her before bed what she wants to thank God for and she has responded wonderfully by choosing something different most every night and eagerly thanking God for it. It's simple, it's sweet, but it's so genuine. Matt and I also choose something to thank Him for and we take turns saying our simple prayers. Occasionally we will pray for the needs of someone else or for our family but mostly we give thanks.

One night while Debbie (my mother-in-law) was in town last week we asked Gracie if she wanted to say the prayer. She did.

We all held hands and she sat on her knees in her chair, closed her eyes and said, "Thank you God for Jesus, for this food and for everything in my life."

That was the prayer of a three year old. A prayer that pleases God. A prayer that makes a Mother break down at the dinner table because her little girl is starting to get it. She is starting to understand what it is to have a thankful heart. To appreciate Jesus and food and everything! I know she doesn't understand the depth of sacrifice that was experienced on the cross. I know she doesn't understand the miracle of a risen savior completely. But she knows to thank God for all the things she does know. And she knows Jesus.