Last week, I took my children to a restaurant. My six-year-old son asked if he could say grace. As we bowed our heads he said, “God is good, God is great.Thank you for the food, and I would even thank you more if Mom gets us ice cream for dessert. And Liberty and justice for all! Amen!”
Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby, I heard a woman remark, “That’s what’s wrong with this country. Kids today don’t even know how to pray. Asking God for ice cream! Why, I never!”
Hearing this, my son burst into tears and asked me,
“Did I do it wrong? Is God mad at me?”
As I held him and assured him that he had done a terrific job, and God was certainly not mad at him, an elderly gentleman approached the table.
He winked at my son and said, “I happen to know that God thought that was a great prayer.” “Really?” my son asked. “Cross my heart,” the man replied.
Then, in a theatrical whisper, he added (indicating the woman whose remark had started this whole thing), “Too bad she never asks God for ice cream. A little ice cream is good for the soul sometimes.”
Naturally, I bought my kids ice cream at the end of the meal.
My son stared at his for a moment, and then did something I will remember the rest of my life. He picked up his sundae and, without a word, walked over and placed it in front of the woman. With a big smile he told her, “Here, this is for you. Ice cream is good for the soul sometimes; and my soul is good already.” ~ Author Unknown
How did this story make you feel? I read it the other day and it left me with a few different emotions. One happened to be frustration because for some reason we seemed to have grown into a people who feel we have to right to tell others what to do, think, or even how their relationship with God is either right on or not.
Then I started to think about how we do not use the faith of a child to ask God for what we want- no matter how big or small. And who really is to say what is big or small?
The Bible clearly tells us God gives us the desires of our heart {Psalm 37:4}. Why? Because He is a loving Father, He wants you to have what is good. Now does that mean we can just desire things that are not good for us and God will give it. Now, do I even need to answer that?
Sadly, most have viewed God as a dictating God who rules with an iron hand, or maybe like the woman in the story, some see God as only interested in “important” things and not things that seem trivial. But God cares, He cares about everything you care about. His heart is broken when yours is, He is sad when you are. He loves you, He wants to best for you and He is there with you, no matter what.
So today relish in the thought that He loves you and wants to bless you. And hey if you want to pray for ice cream at the end of dinner, then pray for ice cream.
One last thought I had when I read this, what did this teach this little boy about prayer and trusting God? He prayed for something he wanted…don’t we? He wanted God to answer his prayer…don’t we? But one of the great things I love is that he learned the lesson of praying, asking God for what he wanted, trusting God to do it, and watching God work through his mother who gave him what he asked for. It made me think of my superhero grandson who prayed one day that we would get Starbucks {now before you get all judgmental he gets chocolate milk in a Starbucks cup and thinks he is getting what Gigi gets}. I do not know what prompted him in our prayer time that day to ask for Starbucks, but he wanted it. And I started thinking about what lesson am I teaching him about prayer if I did not get in the car and take him! So we went! My prayer was that my little prayer warrior would know that he could boldly go to the throne of God and ask Him for anything his little heart desired. And that God does hear and prompt others to fulfill those prayers.
Where is your childlike faith? Has it left? Trust God, He loves you and wants to give you the desires of your heart.
{Want more devotions? I’m A Sword Wielding Devil Slayer; Declaring the Word of God and Taking Back What the Devil Stole from Me!}
Tagged: prayer, Psalm 37:4
Author Sandra Hersey ~ Keys To Victorious Faith 
[…] Sandra Hersey posted a noteworthy aricle today onHere’s a small snippetLast week, I took my children to a restaurant. My six-year-old son asked if he could say grace. As we bowed our heads he said, “God is good, God is great.Thank you for the food, and I would even thank you more if Mom gets us ice cream … […]
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Whoa. That’s a good one.
What a precious little boy, and what a good comeuppance for the big ol’ meanie of a lady.
From out of the mouths of babes, right?
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That was great and it made me cry in a good way.
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“Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings, thou hast ordained praise.”
I so enjoy it when the sweet innocence of a child brings down the pride of, we, adults.
Thanks for sharing.
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