Several years ago I visited the pre-school that my church ran. It included a kindergarten class. The morning I peeked in I noticed that all 10 kids were sitting in a circle holding hands. Their teacher, Autumn, invited me in to join them in their morning prayer. Delighted to do so, I sat between two dainty girls, one with long curly blond hair, the other with glasses and a patch over one eye. As the children prayed, God reminded me about some important life lessons.
Autumn prayed first and then each child prayed around the circle, one after the other. Out of their tiny voices came these prayers.
Thank you Jesus.
I pray for my tadpoles.
Jesus, please help my fish. I have two fish and the fins of one fish are coming off and the other one has spots.
I pray for my grandmother who has cancer.
Jesus, I pray that my puppies will live and that my parents will let me keep one.
And then this one really touched my heart.
Jesus, my mom is off tomorrow. I really want to spend time with her. I know she is busy, but please let her spend time with me.
In five minutes after listening to 10 six-year-olds, God reminded me of these simple life lessons.
- When we pray, God looks not at the eloquence of our words, but at the honesty of our hearts.
- No subject is off limits when we pray.
- Kids want time with their parents more than anything else.
- I must never allow a busy schedule to trump such significant moments as holding the hands of six-year-olds while they pray.
- I wish I had more of the simple faith of a child.
Today, look for opportunities for God to teach you about what’s truly significant, even from a child.
Related posts: