In Matthew 18:3, Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you change and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”
These examples have never been more vivid for me than they are now with me being a mother of 2 little ones: a daughter of 4.5 and a boy of almost 2 years old. I believe that being a parent is one of the greatest teaching platforms of communication.
It has amazed me how in this relationship of mother and child a mutual growth occurs. People will tell you, “wow your children are growing”, but the truth is that I am growing with them. Watching my daughter grow and communicate has imprinted some great truths in my heart.
God tells us to be like one of them - to be like the little ones.
What does a child do?
They never ask to get anything from you without first coming to you; there is always an encounter.
They come full of expectation.
They have no doubt they will hear from you.
They think all times are appropriate to talk and to ask; there is no specific time.
They always come, being true and being themselves.
They focus on now, not the past; today is the day of action for them.
They have no formula in talking to you.
They make sure you know what they want.
They are bold and self-confident in their identity - in who they are to you.
They call on you just to make sure that you are still there - just to hear your voice even when they don't need a thing.
What a difference it would make in our lives if we all would go to Him like this... asking and praying with the heart of a little child.
The truth is, as we grow we become more logical and analytical in our communication, and we can carry that into our prayer life. God wants us to be like the little ones and approach Him like one of them. If we do it, He has some great things to show us.
Jeremiah 33:3 says, “Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know”.
God told Jeremiah to call to Him, not just call for Him. If we maintain the heart of a little child when we call on Him, He promises to show us great things not just for our own life, but for our families, our churches, our city and nations.
We will have the faith for the impossible; we will believe and expect, as a child, that it is done now. The sun will stand still!
Psalm 2:8 says, "Only ask, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, the whole earth as your possession".
Only ask.
Ask like a child!