I love small children; they are so innocent and they reveal that quality openly, without reservation. This little girl had trouble praying, but instead of being frustrated, just said all the letters (of the alphabet) and left the rest up to God. Now, there is an attitude towards God that we all should emulate – Trust. Obviously, I thought of the Bible after reading this story and then the book of Romans…
Rom 8:19-27 ( World English Bible )
(19) For the creation waits with eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.
(20) For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but because of him who subjected it, in hope
(21) that the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of decay into the liberty of the glory of the children of God.
(22) For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now.
(23) Not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for adoption, the redemption of our body.
(24) For we were saved in hope, but hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for that which he sees?
(25) But if we hope for that which we don’t see, we wait for it with patience.
(26) In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weaknesses, for we don’t know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which can’t be uttered.
(27) He who searches the hearts knows what is on the Spirit’s mind, because he makes intercession for the saints according to God.
God works in mysterious ways to care for his children and prayer is one of them. I remember that one day in chapel (Northeast School of Biblical Studies about 1977) a fellow classmate of mine stood at the podium for the opening prayer and just could not pray. He stood there for the longest time, began to shake a little and then to cry. You see, he had been wanting to study for the ministry for years, but just wasn’t making the necessary grades. Some of the brothers that were closest to him gave him comfort and the instructors gave him extra help over the next couple of years and eventually he succeeded. I will always remember him for his faith and the child-like trust he had towards God.
Like the emphasized portion from Romans says- God intercedes for us, even when we encounter situations that make us feel unable to anything to help ourselves.
Jesus said...
Mat 19:14 ( WEB )
But Jesus said, “Allow the little children, and don’t forbid them to come to me; for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to ones like these.”
May God give us all the ability to pray from the heart (with or without words).
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