“You mean I can pray for a girl instead of a boy?” My six-year-old self asked my parents. It was the hour after dinner. The table was cleared, the dishes washed, dried, and put away. Before homework or TV, we sat in the living room as a family and read the Bible and each of us prayed. Quite honestly, sometimes I just wanted to go out and play if it was summertime, or watch my favorite TV program in winter. Yet the few minutes each evening are wonderful memories now. We each read out of the Bible and we’d talk about it briefly, kneel in front of our chair and pray out loud. For the past several months we knew a new baby brother or sister would be coming into our family and since there were already three girls and only one boy, we’d been praying for a boy. Something must have been said, for in that conversation somehow, I realized I could pray for a baby sister–which is what I really wanted.

That was the beginning of my learning how to pray, and has been the pattern of my life. Of course my prayers aren’t always answered in the way I want them answered, but because I have been in communication with God for so many years, now, I know my prayers are heard and are being answered in the best way.

I’ve learned that the optimum way to begin prayer is by praising God. Even during a difficult time when I begin my prayer with praising God and thanking him, something changes in me. My requests  don’t seem as urgent. I have peace. When there’s a crisis in my life, I go directly to that request. But even in the request, I’ve learned to thank God for his answer. He knows best.

Today I read that it is important to give thanks for my Christian friends who are sharing their faith with others. 2 We give thanks to God always for you all, mentioning you in our prayers, 3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patient hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of God and our Father (I Thessalonians 1:2-4 MEV). I learned in the book of 2 John, verse 4:  I can’t tell you how happy I am to learn that many members of your congregation are diligent in living out the Truth, exactly as commanded by the Father.

As I was thinking about the prayers in the passages above, I realized I should pray for those who read my blog each week and give thanks for them–you! So here goes:

“Heavenly Father, I want to thank you for those who read my blog and believe in Your truth. I thank You, for their love that brings joy and encouragement to those they know. For their faith that grows, in spite of the problems of this life. I pray for those who don’t yet know You, but read my words. That they will believe in You today so they can know how much You love them. May each one who reads my words be encouraged by Your Spirit. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

Thanks for joining me on this beautiful May morning! I am very grateful for each of you!

By the way, those six-year-old prayers were answered. That baby was a girl. We call her Betsy!

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I thought it appropriate to share the song with two sisters. Enjoy!