My Daughter's Prayer

On and off over the last few months my daughter has been asking for a sister or brother. She is about to turn 3. Yesterday during breakfast she made the request again. I told her she should pray and ask Jesus to give her a sister or brother. So she asked, "Can I pray right now?" I said, "Sure." She sweetly prayed, "Jesus, I want a sister." Then she quickly looked at me and asked, "Is Jesus here?" I said, "Yes, He's right here and He heard your prayer." So she prayed again, "Jesus, I want a brother." Again she asked me if Jesus was here and I assured her that He was here and heard her prayer.

What a joy it is to teach my daughter about Jesus and that He's always with us and hears our prayers. It's encouraging to see her pray with the unquestioning faith of a child. And when God answers her prayer she will see His love and power.

I pray for the day when she will understand salvation's message and ask Jesus to save her and give her heart fully to Him. Yesterday at church she pointed to the baptistry and said she wanted to be baptized. Then she lay down on the pew and sat back up while verbally describing how a person goes under the water and comes back up. I was amazed that she understood that. I explained to her that she couldn't be baptized until she asked Jesus to be her Savior. She doesn't quite understand that concept yet but as I keep teaching her I hope she will come to understand.

I am encouraged by the questions she asks about Jesus and Biblical things. And even more encouraged when she seems to grasp something I tell her. I've never taught someone so young about God before so I don't know what all she is able to understand or how to simplify things to her level. But she likes to hear Bible stories and even just to listen to me read the Bible out loud. I pray that she will always have a love for the Bible. She has already memorized 2 Bible verses.

Ephesians 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.

Proverbs 20:11 Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.

Even at her young age she is a huge example to me. She makes me think about my own faith. It seems so easy for her to trust and have faith. I wish I had her faith. I hope she will never lose her child-like faith but that it will grow stronger.