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I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth. 3 John 4
I want to discuss why we pray. Not how to pray, but why.
Understanding why we pray can help our praying be more effective. My examples for great praying are the “G-Bops.” Gwyn and Gabby are my twin granddaughters. They have just learned to walk, and they now bop around bumping into things.
Think of the old carnival ride of Dodge Cars in which you drive in circles bumping into things. Once you bop into something, you bounce off to drive away, continuing to bop and bounce.
“Bumping and bouncing” is my definition of “bopping.” That’s where I get the name “G-Bops” for the twins. Let them loose in a room and they will toddle about bopping and bumping and bouncing, and then bopping and bumping and bouncing some m0re.
They are relentless with their bopping.
Every now and then they don’t bounce, they fall, as this past weekend, when they both tried G-Bopping while toddling on a couch. One of them fell and cried, and the other (still on the couch) cried too for added emphasis.
The Mom of the G-Bops came running, while the grandfather of the G-Bops began writing this blog.
Now you know why we pray.
Online searching for the topic of “prayer” surged last year. In March of 2020, Google searches for the word “prayer” reached an all-time high. One researcher found that online searches for “prayer” that month were 50 percent higher than in February of 2020.
Obviously, most of these searches were motivated by desperation. The lesson of why we pray – the best prayers – come from God’s children when falling. The principle of the G-Bops: it is fine to scream loudest and get others to scream too, during or after a fall.
Why aren’t prayers answered?
God addresses Himself as “Daddy” in scripture – an extremely intimate term. When I was in trouble as a child, the word “Mommy” or “Daddy” would be used. As I got older my needs and requests became more sophisticated; not as simple, but more complex, and often tainted by my sinful nature. Dad and Mom would come running when I fell off my bicycle as a child but had a different approach when I was arrested at 18.
Children yell for parents because they believe parents are infallible, have all resources, and that parents are ever-present. As we age, our view of the godlike nature of Mom and Dad diminishes. Children grow up while Dad and Mom get gray.
My children now even tell me what to do!!
God doesn’t get smaller. He doesn’t get gray hair. He never ages, and even as we grow into adults with a college education, along with life experiences, and money, all of that is still childlike to God. To Him, and in comparison, we are always kids.
Prayers answered.
We are still children but have forgotten. We do not need to grow in faith but get rid of the unbelief in our faith. To become childlike again. No, not pull out the “now I lay me down to sleep” prayer from age three, but place ourselves into the wonder of worship.
Who doesn’t feel like a child when observing a sky filled with stars, worshipping in unity, or allowing the Spirit to speak through scripture?
Get God big again!