Prayer: From the Mouths of Babes

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Nothing is wrong when you say it in a song

My son made this statement this morning.  Something struck me as profound about it (He is five almost six).  There is something that is quite powerful about human experience when it is put to song.  Some of the most tragic moments of our lives can become beautiful expressions when the event is set to music and lyric.  It got me thinking about other profound truths I have heard come from the mouth of my five year old son.  Immediately I recalled the moment that I realized the profound prayer that he repeats nearly every time he prays in the morning on the way to school.

Dear Jesus,  thank you for this day.  Help us to not get sticks or tallies.  Help no one to get hurt on the playground.  In Jesus Name, AMEN

In this simple prayer we have most of the things that we adults will pray for if we are spiritually aware of what is going on around us. 

It is with profound thankfulness that we can enter each day.  We often get so caught up with the things to resent or be disappointed about that we often miss the blessed opportunity to be thankful.  If you believe that you have nothing to be thankful for then it is a sure sign that you are on the path of resentment, disappointment, and disillusionment.  Yet a simple faith which says, "thank you for this day" melts that all away in the warmth of God's goodness.

Often we do not prayerfully ask God to guard our way nor measure our steps.  It is in these times that we are most likely to fall into our own selfishness and sin.  We can get sticks (a warning that we are on the wrong path) and tallies (a consequence of continuing in wrong behavior) by not paying attention.  It seems to me that starting your day with a request for God's help in this way keeps our attention on avoiding these pitfalls that are quite easy for us to fall into. 

Life seems to be filled with misfortune, pain, and suffering.  To a kid the playground is life.  Lord please help no one to get hurt on the playground of life, whether at work, home, church, vacation, or any other place that life finds us.  If we do get hurt Lord I pray that you bring along some kind soul to pick us up brush off our knees and say lets go back and play ball.  We all need that sometimes Lord. 

Everyday God gives you a chance to learn some new spiritual truths.  Sometimes it comes from a source that you did not expect.  Today for me it was my five year old son.  I wanted to share it with you today. 

God Bless You

~BJ