PRAY - EVEN IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY!

[The Librarian]

A little shepherd boy was watching his sheep one Sunday morning. As he heard the bells ringing the faithful to church, he watched the people walking along the lane next to the pasture. He began to think that he, too, would like to communicate with God. "But what can I say?" he thought. He had never learned a prayer. 

So on bended knee, he began to recite the alphabet - A, B, C, D, and so on to Z, repeating his "prayer" several times.

A man passing by heard the boy's voice, and stopping to look through the bushes, saw the child kneeling with folded hands and closed eyes, saying, "J, K, L, M, ..."

He interrupted the boy, asking, "What are you doing, my little friend?" The boy replied, "I was praying, sir."

Surprised, the man said, "But why are you reciting the alphabet?"

The child explained, "I don't know any prayers, sir. But I want God to take care of me and help me to care for the sheep. So, I thought if I said all I knew, He could put the letters together and spell all that I want to say and should say."

The man smiled and said, "Bless your heart. You're right - God will!"

Remember that Jesus told us to have faith like a child. When you go to God in prayer, don't worry if you don't know what to say. He can put your thoughts and feelings together and send you the answer you need, even when you don't know what you need.

contributed

[Melinda Mills]

God hears prayers of all those righteously disposed.

(Acts 10:30-33) Then Cornelius said: “Four days ago counting from this hour, I was praying in my house at the ninth hour; just then a man in bright clothing stood in front of me 31 and said: ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been favorably heard, and your gifts of mercy have been remembered before God. 32 Therefore, send to Jopʹpa and call for Simon who is called Peter. This man is a guest in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.’ 33 I then sent for you at once, and you were kind enough to come here. So now we are all present before God to hear all the things you have been commanded by Jehovah to say.”

(1 John 3:19-22) By this we will know that we originate with the truth, and we will assure our hearts before him 20 regarding whatever our hearts may condemn us in, because God is greater than our hearts and knows all things. 21 Beloved ones, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have freeness of speech toward God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we are observing his commandments and doing what is pleasing in his eyes.
 

(Psalm 65:2) 2 O Hearer of prayer, to you people of all sorts will come.