A Simple and Honest Prayer Life

As part of our bedtime routine, I always ask the kids if they would like to talk with God about anything. Sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t. The other night my daughter Q was extra happy and chatty, and she had a lot to share with God when I asked her.

“God, thank you so much for this beautiful day. Thank you for time with Grandma. Thank you that our toilets and shower work again. Please help me to be a kind person and be nice to my brother. Please help me to take care of the things I have.  Please shine bright in my heart for others to see you…(pause)…so I can get a horse by the time I’m 9 or 10 years old.”

My proud mama heart was soaring with her heartfelt requests and humbling attitude. And then it inwardly turned to giggles at the final sentence after her pause. All I could think was “Oh Q! You already bring so many smiles and have the biggest heart. Of course you would ask God for a horse! We have been talking about sharing our heart’s desires with Him after all.”

Her prayer was innocent. Her request completely serious. Her faith in His ability to fulfill the request rock solid. Her calmness after asking for such a big thing was unflappable.

I pondered so many thoughts the next couple days. Initially, I wrote off her prayer as a “cute child’s prayer” made from someone with no major responsibilities, no financial worries, lots of time in a day, and a great love for all animals, especially horses.

Then I thought, I know God listens to each and every request, but surely hers falls into a different category of “importance”, if you will, seeing as it’s not vital. There are people with no food, shelter, clothing! The cost of our unexpected house projects is piling up fast! People are losing their jobs! Sometimes I struggle just to make it through the day while caring for my responsibilities! There are people with life threatening illnesses! People in deteriorating and/or abusive relationships! Shouldn’t we be focusing on matters like that?!?!?

And then the conviction came. It was humbling, eye-opening, and heart breaking. It felt like I was being scolded for “poo-pooing” my daughter’s request for a horse. God was asking me to take a good look at my heart and the way I talk to Him.

Why don’t I approach Him with such confidence? Why do I filter my requests based on what I think is more important to Him? Where is my faith in His power to do the unthinkable when times get hard? Why don’t I show my love and commitment for Him with such fearlessness? When did I start letting my sometimes jaded view of the world and hurtful experiences change how I pray? Why do I entertain thoughts of not being important enough to be heard?

Have you ever experienced this? Oscillating between asking God for everything and anything and then filtering your requests to include only the “really necessary”? Wishing you could go back to the uncomplicated prayers of childhood but struggling to let go of the intricate, ever changing heaviness of adulthood?

If you are like me and could resonate with at least one of the above questions, then perhaps it’s time we change our approach to prayer. What if we peeled back all the years of hurt, seemingly unanswered prayers, cynical opinions formed by outside views, and half-hearted trust? What if making prayer simple again led to bigger faith, more outreach, and a closer relationship to God?

While contemplating my own prayer life, here are some Bible verses, thoughts, and reminders I uncovered. They helped me figure out what I needed to change to have faith more like my child’s.

Jeremiah 29:12-13 NIV “Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (emphasis added)

Matthew 6:8 NLT “For your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!”

Mark 11:24 NLT “I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.” (emphasis added)

~ Don’t be afraid to give God your entire heart (the good, bad, and ugly). Likewise, do not ignore the need to speak with Him because of a bad attitude/choice, etc. Be honest with God! He’s the best One to handle our complex emotions and knows what is inside our hearts better than we do. There is no such thing as a perfect prayer, so give Him what you got.

~ Evaluate motives and make sure your requested desires align with His greater purpose. If those are in the right spot, we shouldn’t feel guilty asking for things outside of necessities. God created us with enjoyment, for enjoyment. He already knows every single one of our thoughts, struggles, wants, and needs. Let go and experience freedom in laying it all out there.

~ Remember God is always listening; there is no need to chase Him down. Try to connect with His presence during time spent with Him. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking the best way to pray is when you’re alone and someplace quiet. Some of my best conversations with God happen when the kids are running around, screaming like some foreign animal and me at my wits end over life’s stresses.

~ Try and cultivate a childlike faith in God’s ability to answer prayer. Do not second guess Him when the answer is not what you were expecting. When a door closes, look around for the other door He opened. Be patient; His timeline is different than ours.

So, next time you have a conversation with the Heavenly Father: Go big! Tell Him everything! Fully expect an answer! Keep it simple! Be ready to be blessed! Who knows, you may just end up with a horse someday. ?