Ginger was a busy babysitter for the children in her church. One of her favorite charges was four-year-old Katie, the pastor’s daughter.
One evening as Katie’s parents attended an important church meeting, Ginger came to the parsonage to take care of Katie. They had a light supper, read books, and played games until bedtime.
After bathing, Katie got into her pajamas and snuggled under the covers to say her prayers. She put her hands together and closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and began, “Dear Lord, A...B...C...D...E...F...G.” With another breath, she resumed, “H...I...J...K.” Curiously, Ginger continued to listen: “L...M....N...O…P...Q...R...S...T...U...V.” Then, with WXYZ run together and a quick “Amen,” Katie dropped her hands and reached up to hug Ginger.
“Well, that’s unusual, but were you just having fun?” Ginger asked.
Katie shook her head. “Oh, no, I was really praying. I was just saving God some time. Daddy says we don’t know what to pray for, but God does. So, I thought if I just said the letters, He’d put them together into the right words.”
Katie tried to deal with a situation I frequently face on my spiritual journey as I try communicating with God. As a frail, imperfect human being, how do I pray to a righteously perfect God? A good question.
Just as God cares for our material needs, He also provides a way for us to pray effectively. As the Scripture says, with the Spirit helping us, the Lord understands everything involved in our prayers and can respond perfectly. Then He provides the correct answers.
When you pray, believe God will put it all together ideally.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay and b13923790.)
Anne Adams is a retired church staffer living in Athens, Texas, where she writes a historical column for the local newspaper. Her book Brittany, Child of Joy, tells about her mentally disabled daughter and was published in 1986 by Broadman. She has taught junior college history and has published in Christian and secular publications for forty years.