I’ve started praying at night with the girls (I’ll do it with the boys when they are older). I thought it was a good time to started teaching them how to pray. Not that there needs to be a special prayer or special words to say. I don’t believe in saying something over and over and over again. But teaching them that God is personal and He wants to be talked to like we would talk to one another (with out the sarcasim and the like of course).
Anyway, the other night I’m passing by the girls room and I hear this sweet little voice calling out,
“Mommy, can we say our good night pways?” I go in and sit on Gracies bed, (Maacah is already asleep), we bow our head and begin to pray. I’m trying to get Grace to pray by herself, so I let her start and only help her if she needs it.
“Deaw heavenwy Fodda” (I just have to get the way she pronounces things in! They are too cute to cut out!) “Tank you for tis day. Tank you for the food we have. Pwease fogive me fo the tings I’ve done wong. I don’t….I don’t know what I’m saying….” I’m’ sorry, but the giggles came at this point. I mean, how many of us struggle with praying out loud? I know I do sometimes. Like what to pray and wanting to sound calm and “put together”. Most of the times I studder and pause and really struggle with what to say. Some peoeple speak and pray so smoothly and almost poetic like. But only a little child would actually voice the struggle when we don’t know what to pray.
One of the days last week when we were praying for lunch, I allowed Maacah to pray (one girl prays for breakfast and the other prays for lunch). She usually prays the same thing every time, “Dear God. Thank you for our food and may it be nourishing to our bodies. Please bring Daddy home safely. In Jesus Chris name, Amen”. But that time she added something different that caught me off guard. “Dear God. Thank you for our food and may it be nourishing to our bodies. Please make this food taste good. Please bring Daddy home safely. In Jesus Chris name, Amen”.
Well then….