BECOMING LIKE A CHILD IN PRAYER

Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child,

he shall not enter therein.

                        Mark 10:15

Don’t you just love to watch little toddlers? Their amusing antics make you smile and wish you had their energy. Their most endearing moments are when they are so focused it’s as though nothing else matters. They sing with absolute joy or they twirl with passion, regardless of who or what is around them. Their fervor is contagious yet often reminds us of vitality we’ve misplaced.

Older children catch our attention, especially near Christmas when they flaunt their wish lists every day. We adults are no different. Often, we are willing to go into debt for something we can’t afford because we are determined to have it.

How about when we go to God in prayer? Are we equally zealous when we want something from the Lord? This is imperative when we know we need to have a prayer answered or when we want to draw closer to Him. Perhaps then we need to find that exuberance of a small child, letting nothing distract us from what we desire. Relentless as a child, we can entreat the Lord moment by moment. When seeking to draw closer to the Lord, perseverance still gets results today, just as it did for the woman imploring the unjust judge (Luke 18:1-8).

How about our other interactions with God? For example, how do we approach God when giving thanks? What if our desire isn’t for a specific purpose or answer to prayer, but rather a time of giving thanks? Are we casual in the way we draw near to God? Is it a mere token speaking the words, absent the ardor we should be feeling? When thinking about God’s majesty, power and marvelous creation, do things distract us making us become half-hearted in conveying our praise to Him?

When we pray, let’s remember the enthusiasm of children. We can plead with God as relentlessly as they do when wanting something from us. Cry out to Him with fervor and zeal like no one and nothing matters except our focus on God, confident He will answer either ‘yes,’ ‘no,’ or ‘not now.’” When we simply believe God hears our prayers and will respond fittingly for our welfare, we may incidentally tap into that boundless energy and delightful joy our children have demonstrated before us. If we do, our prayer life will never be the same!

Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.

                                                                                                Proverbs 16:3