“No, I do not want to pray!” Was a comment I heard often from my youngest. My heart hurt a little every time she rejected the idea of talking to Jesus.
I was confused.
She heard her siblings pray often and she would hear how the Lord answered their questions.
Why didn’t she want to pray too?
I decided to ask the Lord what was going on. He knows her heart. He knows her thoughts and why she doesn’t want to talk to Him.
“Jesus, why doesn’t Bentley want to pray to you when given the chance?”
“She doesn’t know me.” was His response.
That hurt my heart. As her parent, I want to help her get to know Jesus. Bentley had asked Jesus into her heart when she was four years old, but I fully understand it is hard to know Jesus personally when most of her encounters are from a book or a Bible story that she is told.
I wished Bentley knew that Jesus is a real person and is someone that is pursuing her daily. I asked Jesus for an idea of what I could do to help her know Him better.
An idea quickly came to mind and I was super excited to try it with her.
ASKING GOD QUESTIONS
When Bentley got home that day, she went to her room to play. I was excited to talk to her and followed her there. We chatted for a bit while she was sitting on her bed looking at her new library books from school. When the time seemed right, I asked her if she wanted to talk to Jesus.
She said, “No.”
Would you be willing to ask Jesus what He thinks of you?
A confused look came over her. I then explained that in the Bible it says that Jesus has more thoughts about you than the sands on the shore. (Psalms 139:17-18) “If He has that many thoughts about you, then we can ask Him what He thinks of you. Would you like to do that?”
“Yes!”
“Do you want to repeat after me?”
She shook her head yes.
“Jesus, what do you think about me?”
She repeated what I said and then sat there with her eyes closed for a few seconds and then opened them with wide eyes.
“Bentley, what happened?”
“I saw a hippo in a pink tutu.”
Well, that is different, I thought to myself.
This is where I get to help her understand the vision the Lord gave her, to help her discern the “voice” of the Lord. So when she gets older she can do it on her own.
However, I didn’t understand it either, so I asked what it meant in my head and immediately got an idea. However, I didn’t share my idea out loud. I have learned that when the Lord tells you the interpretation personally, it is internalized more and becomes real. I wanted that for Bentley, so I let the Lord speak to her instead.
I began to guide her through questions she could ask the Lord.
“Bentley, ask God why He is showing you a hippo wearing a pink tutu.”
She asked Him out loud, looked at me and laughed. “He said that He loves that I am funny and He likes it when I dance.”
“Bentley, He loves watching you dance! He loves your sense of humor. You ARE funny. The Lord is letting you know that He loves all of those things about you!”
After I said that to her, I could tell her heart was softening toward Him, but she wasn’t fully there yet. So I asked her, “Would like to ask God if there is anything else He wants you to know today?”
She asked Him and spent some time quietly sitting still. I let her be.
When she opened her eyes she began to explain to me the vision the Lord had given her. She said, “Mom, I was playing on the slide.”
“Which slide?”
“The one in our backyard.”
“What else did you see?”
“I saw God watching me with a smile on His face.”
“Did He show you anything else?”
“No.”
“How did that make you feel?”
At this point her eyes were smiling and her face was super expressive. “Mom, I felt happy. He made me feel happy.”
“Bentley, the Lord loves to watch you have fun. When you are playing, He is right there with you.”
WHAT HAPPENED
Now, for a 6 year old, being told that the Lord is watching you play is wonderful. When they are that age, you constantly hear, ‘Watch me do this!’ ‘Watch me do that!’ They are looking for others to affirm them by giving them your attention.
His ultimate design is for us to feel LOVED and KNOWN by Him. God was speaking to her in a way that she would understand. He knows how to convey His character in such a way that a 6 year old will get it. He loves her. He cares for her. He is proud of her. He watches what she does like a proud parent watching their child accomplish anything!
Bentley encountered God that day. She was able to experience that part of His character, the Heavenly FATHER and all that means; incredible love, and being proud of His child. He is such a good father and He wants all of His children to know Him and love Him too. He is all about building His relationship with us, no matter what our age.
CHALLENGE
I challenge each of you to ask God what He thinks of you. He is a loving father who adores His children. He wants to share His thoughts with you. Just ask.
LET’S CONNECT
Do you need help hearing the voice of the Lord? Would you like someone to walk you through this process? I would LOVE to connect with you. You can reach out through my CONTACT page or leave a comment below.
What a delightful blog post! I love the way God connects with us – whatever age we are! We are never too young to start connecting.
What an amazing story, dear Emily!
Jesus is right there when we ask questions even though he doesn’t answer.
I love to ask questions to Jesus and Abba Father God. Then Sometimes I forgot what I asked. But when God is ready to answer, it is the time to hear and listen.
Thank you for sharing!