Children Model How We Should Pray

I have had the privilege to help out these last two months with the preschoolers in LRC Kids on Sunday mornings and Cubbies on Wednesday evenings. Through this experience, I have learned from them about humility, prayer, and peace.  Jesus teaches us about humility, like a child, in Matthew 18:3-4, “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Children demonstrate humility and faith when we see them pray. God wants us to come to Him with child-like faith, having a humble heart.

When I watch the Cubbies gather around Brenda Schmitz on Wednesday evenings to pray, I listen to their humble hearts praying with eyes closed tightly and belief that Jesus is hearing them. I observe their calm bodies having a sense of peace knowing God loves them unconditionally and will answer them. They pray with expectant hearts. Matthew 5:8 tell us, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

The prayer pictured above was written by our preschoolers in Sunday LRC Kids with their small group shepherds, Cathy Paulson and Katie Hennen, after the children were taught about how “God is Our Safe Place”. Many of us have anxiety from time to time about family, finances, health, freedom, or other difficult circumstances. Anxiety is a faith battle. We gain the victory over anxiety through prayer. God promises His peace which transcends all understanding to guard our hearts and minds (Philippians 4:7). When we pray with pure and expectant hearts, we can experience peace amidst the challenges and see God working in our lives.

One chapter later in Matthew, Jesus seems to be repeating Himself. In Matthew 19:14, Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” We need to be cognizant of repeated messages from Jesus. He wants us to understand what is most important and the keys to the kingdom of heaven.

What steps can we take to become more like humble children?