It’s always interesting to me to watch and listen to people pray. Especially in front of other people. Over the past couple of years I’ve had all kinds of opportunity to watch various people pray. Sometimes they hesitate as if they aren’t sure who they are talking to, Sometimes they are afraid, Sometimes people pray flowery long prayers with all types of big words, Some people say “Dear God” at the beginning of all their prayers and others say “Lord Father God” after every phrase. What is especially puzzling to me is when people ask a pastor or church leader to pray on their behalf because somehow God will listen better, more, etc. As if the God who created them in the first place isn’t tremendously interested in what they have to say…
I’ve always felt the best way to talk to God is as a friend. After all, in Jesus we are given the right to be called co-heirs with him to all the Father has created (Romans 8:7) and Jesus himself calls us friends (John 15:15). So it warmed my heart this afternoon when the tractor at the lake broke and Jadon skinned his knees on the driveway.
We had gone out to the lake to have dinner with my parents who were due in around 3 pm. Esther, Jadon and I thought we would be helpful by going out early to mow the lawn with the tractor so they wouldn’t have to bother with that chore when they came home. We made it a game by making it a surprise for them… About 90% finished we stopped the faithful old John Deere to empty the bag and the motor simply wouldn’t start back up again. Dead as a doornail. After I fiddled with it for a few minutes I decided that the obvious was simply not going to work so Esther and I walked down to get the charger to put on it for a few minutes. On our way back up the hill I hear from Esther:
“Daddy?”
–Yes, Esther?
“What will happen if the tractor won’t start back up?”
–I suppose our surprise won’t quite work as we thought
After she chews on that for a few minutes I hear as we are walking:
“Dear God, please let the tractor start back up again so we can give grandma and grandpa their surprise. I love you God. Amen”
Inwardly I was amazed and grateful that the first thought my daughter had was to petition the Great King for help. As I thought about it more I thought how wonderfully blessed she might be if God would allow her to converse with Him as a friend. I was reminded of a story from Numbers 12 in which Aaron and Miriam complain about Moses and God explains to them that “Yes, I indeed talk to you…but to Moses I speak as a friend.”
Later on in the evening just before we left, Jadon fell on the driveway and skinned his knees. You would have thought the world was ending as he climbed into his car seat! But as we drove away and the cries subsided to a wimper I heard a soft voice from the backseat of the Expedition saying:
“God, I pray for my brother’s knees. Please take away the pain and make his knees feel better. Please help him not to cry and instead be brave and courageous. I love you God. Amen”
She’s learning to talk to Yahweh as a friend… And I couldn’t feel more blessed!
“Yahweh God, you gave us your name because you desired to be our friend. Jesus taught us how to be your friends… Please teach my children how to be your friends as well. I love you God. Amen”
–Greg
In fact, if you don’t have her facing the right way, she will let you know!
