Prayers

We have encouraged Jacob to say impromptu prayers at night and at the table. The idea is that he will not simply say "Now I lay me down to sleep..." every night without thinking about it. We can become parrots simply repeating a set of words and that is not praying. Jacob has gotten better at praying extemporaneously at night before bed. Saturday night he thanked God for our family and all that we have. He thanked Him for the fun we have had. He asked God to help him with a few things going on in his life and then he paused. For quite a while. Then he said, "God, I'm sorry for the bad things I did when I used to go to my old school (by this he means pre-school) and I'm sorry for the bad things I will do someday." Jacob has become aware that doing wrong impacts his relationship with God first and foremost. So, he has been praying about that more and more lately.

I was in a conversation recently where the person asked how to pray. I said I treat prayer as a conversation, but certainly not with the attitude that I am God's equal. There seems to be such pressure to sound official or poetic when we pray. Maybe that is why canned prayers, which we can simply recite without thought, are more comfortable. But those cease to be prayers at some point, probably once the thoughtfulness ceases. When we talk to each other, we do not speak in poetic cadences or with well rehearsed speeches. We simply talk and let the conversation go where it needs to. Praying is like that with God and His Spirit guides our thoughts and words as we speak to Him. We are not informing Him of anything, but we are being informed. Prayer changes us not God. I have been moved how Jacob's prayers have evolved and how he has changed as a result. It changes me to watch him pray. What a mysterious and amazing thing, this prayer business!