Peace Through Simplicity (Prayer Part 3)

Childlike prayer

small child praying

Prayer is just talking to God, but on some days, it can feel complicated.

I woke up much earlier than usual with a pit in my stomach. I was speaking at a large women's event that day and needed more confidence. Knowing I should pray, I quietly slipped into our office. My heart sank as my three-year-old son, Grant, ran into the room. There was no way I could focus with my active toddler around, but he wanted to pray with me and climbed onto my lap.

We took turns praying, and to my surprise, he prayed with me for 45 minutes. As I listened to his sweet little voice asking God to "Pwease help Mommy to pweach good," my anxiety melted away. That was about 30 years ago, but I still cherish that memory.

Children don’t question their lives and are at peace when others care for them

Seeing the simplicity of a child helps me understand what Jesus meant when he said we must "change and become like little children" (Matthew 18:3 NIV). Children don't question their lives and are at peace when others care for them and make decisions. When my granddaughter Charlotte doesn't get what she wants, she's disappointed and sometimes angry, but she doesn't doubt me, grow jaded, or experience a faith crisis. She also doesn't walk away, wondering why she bothered to ask. A few minutes later, she's over it and asks again. She trusts and depends on me.

In contrast, I've doubted God when my life hasn't been as planned. I've tortured myself with questions about how God will and won't work. I've wanted concrete answers to the secrets of life, but most of the time, I haven’t gotten those answers. As Job said, "Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know" (Job 42:3b NIV). My overly intellectual attitude has hindered my prayers.

Last week, I told a friend that when the opposite of what I requested from God happened, I never wanted to think, "Why bother to pray? God will do what he wants” again. That question violated my conscience, but I wasn't sure how to stop it.

I wasn’t coming to God with the heart and simplicity of a child

Later, I prayed about it and spent some time with Charlotte. I saw how much she trusted me and wanted to spend time with me. Then it hit me: I wasn't coming to God with the heart and simplicity of a child. I was resentfully thinking, “God will do what he wants,” when instead, I needed to believe with peace and security that “God will do what he wants.” Those were the same words, but the latter version came from a heart of trust.

Since then, some bad news has tested my resolve, but I didn't get angry or have any ungrateful thoughts about God. I handled it better than I would have even two weeks ago. I remembered to have a childlike trust, and as a child of God, I could stop the negative, faithless thoughts and questions. I never thought the answer would be so simple.

I needed to try something new

Different seasons of life have required different approaches. Sometimes, when my prayers have felt stale, I’ve needed to try something new, so I’ve asked some friends what helped them.

At lunch, Sally Hooper recently mentioned how inspiring it was when her husband Bill, a retired Dallas Fort Worth Church elder, shared his prayers with her. Their faces lit up like children at Disney World as they talked about their prayers. I had to know more.

Later, I called Bill and asked him how he prays. He said he loved nature walks, but he has been praying on his computer in recent years. He began by writing out requests of God in areas where he wanted to see miracles. He loved seeing how God chose to answer those requests. It made him feel closer to God, so he continued using his computer.

Everyone needs to find what will be meaningful to them

He would pick certain verses to copy and paste into his prayer on his computer. Then, he customized those verses by changing the wording from third person to first person to make it more personal.

"It's special for me, but everyone needs to find what will be meaningful to them," Bill said.

Another friend used sticky notes on a trifold science board to see her prayers. The first section of the board was for current prayers, the middle was for prayers in progress, and the third was for resolved prayers. She used sticky notes to move her requests to different sections on the board.

She wanders from topic to topic if she’s not organized

Yet another friend used her computer to make monthly lists of family members, friends, and character issues. Then, on designated days, she prayed in depth for specific people. She said that she wanders from topic to topic if she's not organized.

"It's like when I see a good friend and leave our time feeling like we talked about everything. I want to feel that way with God," she said.

She also keeps a monthly page of answered prayers and uses that list to thank God.

There's no right way to pray; certain days bring different needs. Sometimes, I can't wait to pray. Other times, it feels like a duty, and then there are times when it is my sanity and sustenance. It helps to approach him with a childlike heart, but even when I don't, he helps me.

I remember that he's the Father and I'm the little daughter. I can turn off the doubts and questions and rest in his love, knowing he's holding me in his embrace every time I pray.