Avery, my middle kid, continues to blow me away with her prayers. G-d's teaching me via my children that prayers look so different. That's truly the beauty of prayer, isn't it? Just like conversations, there are literally millions of ways they can be spoken.
We recently sponsored the rescue of three Indian children from the world of human sex trafficking, and the organization sent us their pictures. Each night as part of our daily routine, we joyfully pray for all the rescued children Life for the Innocent has helped, but particularly the three we "know": Kunshi, Shari, and Tahir. We love it! The girls take turns praying for the children. They are a part of our extended family, and we hope and trust that one day we will meet them face-to-face in heaven.
It's important that we practice as a family listening to G-d speak to us, through our spirits, for each of these little ones. One night Avery, our ever-thoughtful three year old, prayed, "Abba, give Kunshi strong muscles and keep her hydrated. Amen!"
We were blown away by the simple specificity of Avery's prayer (on the surface), and yet there was much to unpack within her petition. Water and weight. Nutrients. Joy. Eternal life. I couldn't help but be reminded of Yeshua's promise of living water, the type that will satisfy eternally, "Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life" (John 4:13-14).
Avery taught me that sometimes it's not about what we actually say in our prayers but about what we leave unsaid. He knows my heart. He's praying through it. I can trust that as I submit to His Lordship in my life living waters will flow.
