Posted in inspirational

We've been enjoying a visit from one of the boys' friends.  James spent the day with us yesterday and slept overnight.  (Praise God for bunk beds!)  James' father, Craig, is eduring a very persistant virus that has attacked his eye.  As I write this, he is preparing for another laser surgery to repair the retina which is beginning to detach.  Keep Craig in your prayers.

Actually, Craig's illness, is what has prompted me to write today.  Yesterday I took the boys to the local park.  We grilled hotdogs for lunch.  As we were preparing to say our prayer before eating, 10 year old James' asked if he could pray.  His prayer was full of thankfulness for the meal and the park and an opportunity to play with my two boys.  In the middle of all his thankfulness he simply said, "Heal my dad's eye."  Then he continued his list of things for which he was thankful and ended with Amen.

I think that we complicate prayer.  We think it has to be flowery.  We think that we have to explain to God all the details and nuances of a situation as we see them.  He's God!  He knows the details.  And He knows ALL the details.  We don't know all the details.

James' prayer was direct and to the point.  "Heal my dad's eye."  It was in the midst of a littany of thankfulness, almost as an afterthought.  I'm sure that he prays this prayer several times a day.  To James, those four words are all that need to be said.

How many times do we take our prayer and try to embellish it with more words?  When all we need to do is come before our Heavenly Father and make our simple requests known to Him.

Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  Phillipians 4:6

Surround your requests with thankgiving, just like James did, and pray simply.  Simply pray!

Hoping that you're praying your way through the ride!