Praying Like a Kid

Growing Daily

When my kids were little, they began asking for pumpkins as soon as pumpkins appeared in the stores. I never gave in because I knew a pumpkin bought in early September would rot by Halloween. But that didn’t stop them. For weeks, they kept asking. They were broken records with one-track minds.

Although God tells us to come to Him like children, I admit I don’t always pray with that kind of persistence. It feels almost rude. Besides, I get distracted and frequently forget what I was praying about.

But Jesus taught that God welcomes persistent prayer.

After teaching His disciples how to pray, Jesus told a parable about a man who went to a friend at midnight asking for bread. Although it was inconvenient, the friend would eventually give him what he needed because of his bold persistence. Jesus concluded: ask and keep on asking, knock and keep on knocking (Luke 11:5-9). Later, He told another parable “to show them that they should always pray and never give up” (Luke 18:1-8).

Sometimes persistence feels like a burden. But then I remember my kids and their pumpkins. They didn’t wonder how they would manage to fit in asking between school and homework. They didn’t make elaborate pumpkin request journals. They simply trusted that I loved them and that, when the time was right, I would give them what they asked for.

That is the heart behind persistent prayer: confidence in a loving Father who delights in hearing from His children.

- Catherine Reid