Prayers

I don't usually like redundant prayers.  I remember how I prayed for many years as a child for meal time:

"Dear Heavenly Father.  We thank thee for this day.  We thank thee for this food.  Please bless it to nourish and strengthen our bodies and minds.  We say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."  

Short.  Purposeful.  Not a lot of meaning, but I guess at least I prayed, right?  I also remember as I got older and started to think of other things to pray for at meal time.  When I would be at my grandparent's, the Hane's house and attempt this my Grandpa Hane would give me his frustrated look at the end of the prayer and say something like, "You must like to eat your spaghetti cold."  He never did like my long prayers, but he always appreciated my faith and dedication.  Granny Hane would say, "Oh, Paul." 

Now I get to enjoy our children learning to pray.  Sometimes we are in a rush (too much of the time) and I feel like they need to move on a little faster.  Yet, I would never say that to them because I feel it's wrong for me to interfere in their communications with their Father in Heaven.  I always want them to feel like that is their time to talk with him so when they have personal prayers they can feel that he is really listening.  Currently, these are how each of them are praying:

James - He's already doing a lot of repetitive prayers, but a couple times a week he thinks of something that's going on right now for him and talks with Heavenly Father about it.  It's usually someone he knows is sick or being thankful for friends or family coming to visit.  He's a tenderhearted kid with so much love to give.

Jade - She is very mindful of everyone always.  She lists people one by one in her prayers she wants to remember and always prays for Daddy to come home safely when he's traveling for work.  My favorite part of her prayers right now is, "Please help us be nice and kind and nursharing and loving and Jesus."  It sounds like she took the word sharing and mixed it with nursery (her class at church).  It's so adorable and sweet.  She also often follows in James' pattern of thanking for visitors that came by or getting to play with friends.

Austin - He is only 8 months old, but he sure prays harder and more often than anyone else in our family.  He is often in this position:

He's doing it so much that I often thank him for praying for me because I always need as many prayers as I can get.  I'm grateful for my three sweet examples that remind me to pray.  I pray they always know He is there for them in the best times and the worst.  I know His open arms have been for me.  Pray always.

This one is just for fun because that lip is just too adorable...