“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
Philippians 4:6 NIV
I have to remind myself to slow down in a world that moves so fast. More often than not, I find myself longing to just sit and do nothing. My favorite is to sit with my Littles and snuggle while we talk about what we will be doing that day or how their day went. I remember one day, we were all home on a Saturday, and for once, we did not have baseball, softball, birthday parties, or an event to attend. We were all playing and laughing when the phone rang. It was my Husband's phone. He stepped out to take a call. The kids all got quiet and then went back to normal within minutes.
However, our littlest was quiet and still. A very rare occurrence. I asked her what she was thinking about. She said, "Mommy, why can't we know who Daddy is talking to?" I told her it was not our place or our job, but we could pray for that person. They called Daddy because they needed a friend or someone to talk to. She immediately shut her eyes, folded her hands, and said, "God, I want to pray for the person Daddy is on the phone with. I want them to know they are not alone and they are loved." I gave her a big hug, and she started wiggling away to go for a swim. Later that evening, after a swim and showers, she asked, "Mommy how do we know God hears us?" I said to her, "that is why we pray. We do it as often as we can because that is how we are able to slow down and listen to what God is saying, and how we get to know him better." She seemed content with that answer, so I told her, "now go brush your hair, and say a prayer!" Where can we do a better job of pausing for prayer? I use tools like the Bible App and verse of the day or when I settle into bed at night with the kids. Make prayer a part of your morning and evening routines. It doesn't take long, but it goes a long way in building our relationship with God and our neighbors.