Answered Heart Prayers

I am working with my kids on what we call “heart prayers.”  Memorized, routine prayers are fine when just learning to pray or in certain situations.  God, however, wants us to share what is in our hearts.  So when talking to my kids, we call those “heart prayers.”  Anyway, at our church, we have a meal before the Wednesday night studies.  Before the meal, those present get in a circle, hold hands and one person prays for our meal.  Last night, I asked the Professor to bless the food.  This was his prayer:

Dear God, thank you for this glorious day.  Bless this food and help it taste good to those of us who don’t like tacos.  Amen

I laughed.  Other adults laughed.  Some of the kids even laughed.  We laughed, not because it was silly,  but because his prayer was totally and utterly honest.  Professor does not like tacos.  He knew he would have to eat them and thus was asking God for help and mercy in getting through what he saw as a daunting, difficult task.

The thing is, I need to do more of the same.  When facing something we don’t want to do, we often ask God to remove that difficult task.  Maybe, instead, we should ask God to make the hard experience one that feeds us, grows us and in the end tastes like God’s goodness. 

God also wants us to ask for the desires of our heart.  Actually, he wants the desires of our heart to be His heart.  Professor asked for what he really wanted.  Whether those tacos tasted good or not, he’d have to tell you.  But what I do know is that God heard the prayers of that little boy.  He heard him cry out in frustration.  God hears us, too.  He hears us when we come to Him in honesty, desperation, frustration and joy.  He hears us when we come to Him not even knowing what to say.

This week, God is answering prayers for my family.  Not my prayers, but the prayers of my friends.  Racer is gone in Daytona and people are praying for me and the kids as we go 9 days without him at home.  I must say that God is answering those prayers.  The chaos and noise are minimal.  My stress and frustration and need to have a break are minimal.  We miss him and are handling his absence much better than usual.  So those that are praying – Thank you!

As you all read, you get to hear about me, my family, my life – the joys and the struggles.  But I want to hear about you!!  Tell me, what are you crying out for?  What prayers has God been answering in your life??