God Speaking

“From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise.”

(Matthew 21: 16)

We recently celebrated a wonderful family wedding. My granddaughter was getting married and it was to be held in a beautiful mountain side location. The site chosen was surrounded by huge mountains and as the ceremony was being held outside, the mountains provided a majestic type of cathedral created by God’s own hand It was impossible to sit there and not be awe inspired by God’s creation. Many members of the family were to be part of the ceremony and my little seven-year-old grandson and his little four-year-old sister were to be the ring bearer and flower girl. My grandson had confided in me the day before the wedding that he was frightened, about his role in the ceremony and was nervous about how he would perform, I told him I had asked God to bless the wedding.  He was perfect! I was staying with them and that night after all the celebrations, I was saying a prayer for the little ones before they went to sleep, just as I finished my grandson began to pray by himself and his prayer brought tears to my eyes. This was his prayer;

Thank you, for giving me the confidence I needed.

Jesus told us that often from children’s lips come beautiful words of prayer, they may be simple words, like my little grandson’s, but when they are heartfelt, they rise like incredible praise to the Father. We also need to be more childlike in our attitude when we talk to our Heavenly Father, we don’t need to impress him with flowery language, we only need to have simple heartfelt words to share with him and saying thank you is one of the important ones.

Jesus spoke many times about child like faith and urged his listeners to emulate children and how they knew the true meaning of believing;

“At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things form the wise and learned and revealed them to little children.” (Matthew 11: 25)

Once we become adults, we tend to shake off the shackles of childhood and revel in making our own decisions and taking control of our own lives. This often becomes a barrier to trusting a loving Father to teach us his paths and walk with him allowing him to direct us. Once again Jesus speaks to the crowds and reminds them of the pitfalls of doing this and is very definite about us all returning to child like faith;

“I tell you the truth anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” (Luke 18: 17)

I find these words very comforting. I no longer have to carry the responsibility of decisions or I no longer have to have elegant sounding long-winded prayers, I can simply come to him like a little child and tell him I am frightened and he will hold my hand and give me the confidence I need just as I saw him do for my little grandson.