A Child's Prayer

Children Will Ask for Anything/Everything

As a father, I have learned that our children have this internal disposition of conviction that they can, and will, ask their parents for anything without concern for what is good for them or even possible at times. For instance, my family and I went to visit my mother over the 4th of July weekend. My step-father has a three-wheeled motorcycle (aka Trike), and just as a good grandpa should do, he gave Zoey a ride on it around the neighborhood. At first Zoey was a bit timid but it didn’t take long before she realized that it was really fun.

On the drive home from Missouri, Zoey had apparently been thinking about that experience with grandpa because out of nowhere she asks me if she can have a motorcycle like grandpa. It goes without saying that the answer was “No,” and I explained why it wasn’t even a possibility at this time in her life, but the fact that she knew that she had the option to ask me, her father that loves her dearly, for anything reminded me about how child-like and intimate our prayer life can be with God because we are His children.

We are God’s Children

John 1:12 ESV

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

The Bible is abundantly clear that when we give our hearts to Jesus that we enter into a new relationship with God. We become His children. This is why the Bible teaches us that when we call out to God in prayer that we can refer to Him as “Abba” which in the first century world was an Aramaic word that children would use to address their fathers that reflected the intimate and loving relationship they had with their earthly fathers. A good illustration of the the word “Abba” in today’s world, and in English Language, would be the word “Daddy.”

“Daddy” Prayers

Sometimes when we are praying we may not be sure if we should ask Him for something or not. Maybe our hearts are longing for God to provide something or for Him to do something in our lives but then our minds begin to question as to whether we should ask God for that certain thing or work or not. We all experience times like that. The Good News is that we have a Father who delights in giving good gifts to and doing good works for His children. As a matter of fact, He delights in doing more than we can even think, ask or imagine. Hear the words of.....

Matthew 7:9–11 NLT

“You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.

Therefore, as we take this 21 Day journey of prayer and fasting let us, like children, not be afraid to ask God for anything that our hearts and minds desire knowing that He delights in giving good gifts to His children.