A Prayer to Experience Childlike Wonder - Your Daily Prayer - February 4
Your Daily Prayer
Audio By Carbonatix
By Whitney Hopler, Crosswalk.com
A Prayer to Experience Childlike Wonder
By: Whitney Hopler
Bible Reading:
“And he said: ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.’” – Matthew 18:3, NIV
Listen or Read Below:
Have you ever noticed how often children are excited about something simple? They can splash in a puddle, sing a song, or laugh at a silly joke over and over without getting bored. They often feel amazed, as well, by lots of experiences – such as playing with a pet, watching a sunset, and eating their favorite foods. But somewhere along the way, when children grow up, they can lose their sense of wonder. As adults, they often focus too much on responsibilities and routines, missing out on the wonder happening around them. Their lives shrink down to the level of their to-do lists, even though God wants them to enjoy much bigger lives.
Have you lost your sense of wonder, too? If so, Jesus’ words in Matthew 18:3 invite you to reclaim a life lived in childlike wonder, which is the key that unlocks the kingdom experience he wants you to enjoy.
You can start by choosing to live a life of humility. Doing so can help you learn much more about God’s wondrous love and power. When you’re humble, your perspective expands, allowing you to see how God is infinitely big, yet He is also close to you, because you’re one of His beloved children.
Standing in awe of God expands your ability to trust him, so you can rely more on God’s strength working through your life. Just like children have faith that what a trusted person tells them is reliable, Jesus wants you to trust and rely on his promises to you. You don’t need to try to go through any complicated analysis that leads you to doubt or worry about what Jesus tells you. When you have childlike wonder, you can just look forward to Jesus keeping his promises. You can expect the best from God in all circumstances you face.
When you stop and wonder at the magnitude of how God has saved your soul for eternity, it becomes easy to trust him with your life right now. Since God conquered death, can’t he conquer any situation where you need his help? Wonder changes your focus away from your challenges and toward God’s immeasurable power. It gets you excited about what amazing way God will show up for you next!
Childlike wonder leads to joy. Children find joy in the extraordinary wrapped up in the ordinary – and you can do so too, at any age. Consider the Christmas season. As an adult, it can be stressful because of pressures with time, money, and family issues. But remember the pure joy you felt during the Christmas season as a child. Jesus invites you to focus on the simple yet profound wonder of the Gospel: He loves you so much that he made the ultimate sacrifice to save you! When you truly wonder at what this good news means, that can give you lasting joy that nothing can take away.
So, let wonder become part of your worship. Become like a little child again by letting go of trying to be the adult in charge of everything and putting your trust in your amazing Father, God.
Let’s Pray:
Dear God, I confess that I’ve let my life shrink down to the level of my to-do list. I’ve focused so much on my routine and responsibilities that I’ve lost the simple joy and open-hearted trust that comes from living in wonder of you. Please change my heart. Reawaken the spirit of the child within me so I can fully enter into your wonderful kingdom here on earth.
I pray that wonder will lead me to humility. Help me to stand in awe of your unlimited love and power, so I can see how much I can really depend on you to help me with whatever I need. I choose to depend on you completely. Let me reflect on the miracle of Jesus saving my soul and everything you’ve already done in my life, and let that inspire me to expect the best from what you will do next. Let me stop over-analyzing and simply believe your promises.
I pray that wonder will restore my joy. Please help me strip away distractions and fully appreciate the simple truth of your love. Let me feel the excitement of being your child, discovering the wonder of your work in my life every day. I want to live a life that’s full of wonder and gratitude as I experience your amazing presence!
Thank you, God. Amen.
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Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/leorivas
Whitney Hopler helps people discover God's wonder and experience awe. She is the author of several books, including the nonfiction books Wake Up to Wonder and Wonder Through the Year: A Daily Devotional for Every Year, and the young adult novel Dream Factory. Whitney has served as an editor at leading media organizations, including Crosswalk.com, The Salvation Army USA’s national publications, and Dotdash.com (where she produced a popular channel on angels and miracles). She currently leads the communications work at George Mason University’s Center for the Advancement of Well-Being. Connect with Whitney on her website at www.whitneyhopler.com and on her Facebook author page.
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