Coloring Books and Prayers

When I was three, we lived in Nashville, Tennessee.  My father was the pastor of a church in the suburb of Woodbine.  One Sunday night I was sitting near the back with my mother.  On the other side of us sat a cute and prim and proper little girl named Kay. 

Kay pulled out her neat coloring book and fresh, unused crayons and began coloring.  I asked if I could join in, and after a bit of begging she allowed me one page.

I began coloring in earnest.  After a few minutes, Kay looked over at my masterpiece and shrieked.  “You’ve ruined my coloring book.  You’ve colored outside all the lines and its ugly.”  And with that she jerked the book out of my hands, folded her arms and gave me the death glare. 

It marked me for life.  I may have to go for counseling someday. 

Maybe … Perhaps.

But alas, I found my salvation in this.

Look on any refrigerator door in any home where you have small children and you will immediately see what I mean.  There are just no bad crayon paintings to be found.

But how about bad prayers?

Here are some light-hearted prayers …

Dear God: I went to a 

wedding Saturday 

and they were kissing 

… right there in church.  

Is that OK?

Dear God:  

Thanks for my 

baby brother, 

but I was really 

hoping for a 

gold fish.

Dear God:  If you’re 

in church on Sunday 

I’ll show you my 

new socks.  They’re cool.

They are cute, they are funny, and they are real.

But what about our adult prayers?  Do the words really matter all that much?

To get back to our opening quote, I think it is the intent of the heart that rises above all else. 

I’m not eloquent in most of my prayers.  I have a southern accent, I don’t roll my “R’s” and I sometimes have trouble with some words – like ‘vulnerable’.

And sometimes, I’m not dressed up when I pray.  I sometimes pray in my ‘undies’.  What is this world coming to?

I love this:

I certainly don’t have it all together.  Sometimes, I can’t even find where I put it, so how can I get it all together? 

And another …

Man I love that idea.  We are invited into a relationship with the God who hears us, even in our silence. 

Praying is not just about words, you see.  It is a mind thing – and a heart thing too.

In my years of living, I’ve heard hundreds of prayers.  I’ve heard Billy Graham pray, and hundreds of other ‘giants’ in the religious world.  My prayers don’t come anywhere near theirs.

And my prayers are still heard too.  

And so are yours.

Ann Lamont says “Sometimes the best prayer is simply ‘Help.’”

You and I can pray that one.  HELP!

In I John 5:14 we read this:

And in Luke 18:13

And his prayer was heard.

Regardless of the words you may say, the intent of your heart is heard even more by God. 

God hears

                God cares

                          And God is with you!

Be encouraged today.

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