Dear Friends,
The bedtime prayer was the first prayer my mother taught me. You may remember this version:
I don’t know how old I was when I stopped saying this simple prayer. Maybe it was when I learned the Lord’s Prayer. The Lord’s Prayer became my standard through my junior high and high school years. Today, my prayers are more free-flowing, more like a conversation than a recitation. Maybe that is part of the transition the apostle Paul wrote about. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 1 Corinthians 13:11
Maybe putting all the ways of childhood behind us isn’t such a great thing after all. In Matthew 18:3, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” If I look more carefully at the bedtime prayer, I see something that is often missing from my prayers — complete trust in God.
Too often my prayers sound like a discussion between an employee and his boss. “Here are the problems,” Boss. “I sure could use your help with such and such but I managed to work my way through those other things that came up on my own. Thank you anyway.
Where is that childhood sense of dependency?
Like half the people on this planet, I am reluctant to relinquish control. Life would be so much easier if I could once again pray the Lord my soul to keep, and believe Him when he says, “I’ve got you.” I wouldn’t worry so much about tomorrow’s battles if I could just trust that angels would indeed guard me through the night … and through the coming days.
Tonight, I plan to say that bedtime prayer I whispered as a child. Who knows? I may awaken believing the message I see each morning on Bonnie’s coffee cup:
“Good morning. This is God. I’ll be handling all your problems today. I will not need your help — so, have a good day. I love you.”
Give it a try. “Unless you become like little children … ”
Verse for the Week:
In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety.
Psalm 4:8
Blessings,
Your Friends in Christ
Because He Loves Us Press 