Dear Young Disciples,
Dwight Moody, the famous evangelist, once spoke to a crowd of children in Edinburgh, Scotland. In order to get their attention he began with a question: “What is prayer?” He didn’t expect to get a good answer. He rather imagined that he himself would have to answer the question.
To Moody’s amazement, little hands shot up all over the hall. Moody pointed to a little boy who stood up and said in a clear voice, “Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God for things agreeable to His will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins and thankful acknowledgment of His mercies.”
“Thank God, my boy,” Mr. Moody told him, “that you were born in Scotland—a country that fears God and that believes in teaching its children well.”
Of course, that was long ago. I wonder what sort of answer he would get today. How would you answer? Many Christians would say that prayer is asking God to give us things or to help us. In other words, they see it sort of like a beggar knocking at the door of a rich man.
But prayer is much more than that. True prayer lifts us up to God—and when we are with Him, He gives us everything we need. David understood this and said, “Unto Thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul” (Psalm 25:1).
When we lift up our souls to God in prayer, we give Him an opportunity to work out His will in us and through us. We entrust our lives to Him, to do as He sees fit.
We need never worry when we do this, because God is always on our side!
Your friend,
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