A Story on Prayer

How Calvin taught me to talk to God

Recently, I’ve been struggling in my prayer life. Sometimes I feel like I shouldn’t pray big prayers to God because it may not be in His will to answer them. But it almost feels undercutting to just say “your will be done” all the time. Like I know God has the power to do big things, and I even know that prayer can change His mind, but I don’t want to be a demanding child just asking for what I want.

But then I think of my own kid. He doesn’t say, “Hello, mother. First of all, I know you are capable of giving me a snack, and I would like one, but if not, that’s okay. Let me be patient and content with that decision.” And I don’t expect him to. He walks up to me and says, “want a snack.” Sometimes I give him a snack. Sometimes I say no. And usually I say no because something much better, like dinner, is just around the corner. Very rarely do I give him a snack unprompted, and frankly, that’s because he’s always asking. He is consistent and confident, sometimes asking mere moments after finishing breakfast.

And this metaphor (crafted with the help of my mom friends Mikala and Amber) truly helps me understand how I should be praying to God. I don’t need to overthink it. He knows the desires of my heart, and I just need to ask. His will will be done, and I can trust He will take care of me if His answer is no. But I need to be bold and persistent, like my kiddo. And the cool thing about God is, unlike me, He won’t get annoyed if I ask every 5 minutes. In fact, He encourages it!

Note from Keela: So sorry I was MIA in May, and this was a kind of short post. Lot of life things happening! If you’re interested in what’s been going on, become a paid subscriber for an extra blog each month that dives into stories I’m enjoying, projects I’m working on, and life updates!