My grandson, Thomas, found his voice this week. He’s trying out sounds that aren’t crying. He yelps and coos and contorts his face every which way to copy ours as we talk to him. He is determined to communicate, and soon.
God, who came into our world as a baby, determined the course of our development from infant to adult. Just maybe He hopes we will learn to recognize His purpose as we find our own voices. We are each created in God’s image to bring glory to His name. We stumble into this purpose in the same way every child learns to speak, and it begins with conversations with our Maker.
A newborn has only one means of making his needs known: crying. As he communicates his need for attention, food, diaper changing, or sleep, his parent, by listening, begins to differentiate. Our Creator God knows our thoughts and His Spirit likewise discerns our cries, interceding before the Father. Listen to David’s prayer. He is no more concerned with proper phrases or posture than an infant. You can trust God to know exactly what you need when you cannot find the words.
“I am worn out from sobbing. All night I flood my bed with weeping, drenching it with my tears. My vision is blurred by grief; my eyes are worn out because of all my enemies. Go away, all you who do evil, for the Lord has heard my weeping. The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord will answer my prayer.”
Psalms 6:6-9 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/psa.6.6-9.NLT
“In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;”
Romans 8:26 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/rom.8.26.NASB1995
A young child often wants only to be held if she’s afraid or ill or hurt. She may approach her parent with arms upraised. No words are needed to communicate “pick me up.”
“I lift my hands to you in prayer. I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain.”
Psalms 143:6 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/psa.143.6.NLT
“Come close to God, and God will come close to you.”
James 4:8 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jas.4.8.NLT
“Rather, cling tightly to the Lord your God as you have done until now.”
Joshua 23:8 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jos.23.8.NLT
Toddlers often throw tantrums to get attention, to get their way, or to express frustration. In the southern vernacular, we’d call that a “hissy fit.” Even if we don’t let it out, at one time or another, we’ve all had one! If we do let it out, we usually immediately regret it.
“You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.”
James 4:2-3 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jas.4.2-3.NLT
We’re not so different from little Thomas at the end of the day. Prayer is just talking to God as our Heavenly Father. Baby talk morphs into formal language by stages. It doesn’t happen all at once, but it always happens. If not, there’s a problem. In the same way, our prayers grow with our relationship to our Father. The more you come to trust Him, the more you’ll share, for “…your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!”
Matthew 6:8 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/mat.6.8.NLT
Jesus, the Father incarnate, even spent time in prayer. Observing His habit, His disciples asked Him, “Lord, teach us to pray.” (Luke 11:1)
“Jesus answered them, “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’”
Matthew 6:9-13 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/mat.6.9-13.NASB1995
“Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/1th.5.17-18.NASB1995
Start the conversation with whatever comes naturally to mind. Don’t wait until you’ve composed the polished draft to come to your Father. He’ll see through that every time! Bring Him your raw emotions, your gut reactions, your most heartfelt words and let Him meet your need from His plenty. Sit in His presence and rest. Look into His face and reflect His smile. Tell Him you love Him. No one on earth could love you more!
Thank You, Jesus, for listening. Thank You for hearing our hearts when words fail us. Thank You for telling us the Truth. Your Word is Truth. Thank You for loving me. I love You, Jesus. Amen.
A Fitting Reply 