Scripture References: Matthew 18:1-4; Matthew 11:28-30; Matthew 7:7-8
Intro: Welcome. Speaker Tom Shaw addresses the common frustration and difficulty many experience with prayer – distraction, wandering thoughts, guilt, feeling inadequate (referencing Paul Miller's 'A Praying Life'). While prayer is vital, why is it often so hard? Jesus offers a surprising key in Matthew 18: "Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."
Key Points:
- The Struggle is Real: Most Christians find prayer challenging. Our minds wander, we feel guilty for not doing it "right," we get discouraged by perceived lack of results, and prayer exposes our weaknesses (self-preoccupation, doubts, anxiety) in uncomfortable ways.
- Wrong Response: Faced with our messy inadequacy in prayer, we often pull back, thinking we need to "fix ourselves" first or that God must be disappointed. We adopt a performance mentality.
- Jesus' Counter-Intuitive Solution (Mt 18:1-4): Become like little children. This isn't about becoming childish, but embracing childlike qualities in our approach to God. In Jesus' context (disciples seeking greatness), this meant humility and dependence.
- How Children Approach Prayer (and Life):
- They Come As They Are (Without Pretense): Children are often distracted, messy, self-focused, sometimes brutally honest. They don't hide who they are or how they feel. Jesus invites us to come as we are – weary, burdened, distracted, anxious, needy (Mt 11:28). Don't let imperfection paralyze you.
- They Ask Persistently: Children ask for everything, constantly, sometimes demandingly. Jesus says, "Ask, seek, knock" (Mt 7:7). Overcome prayer paralysis by simply asking for your needs, big and small. God invites this childlike dependence; He's not annoyed like tired human parents.
- They Believe Simply: Children often trust their parents implicitly. While honoring the pain of unanswered prayer, we're called to cultivate simple faith, believing God hears and cares, even when we don't see the answer yet. Ask for help with unbelief.
- They Play Freely: Children move between activities playfully, without rigid structure. Prayer can be conversational and meandering, not just a formal, linear process. Bring your real feelings (sadness, anxiety) before trying to force worship. God loves the authentic, quirky you.
Conclusion: The path to a richer prayer life isn't through achieving spiritual perfection first, but through embracing childlike dependence. Jesus invites us to come honestly, ask persistently, believe simply, and relate playfully. When we stop trying to perform and simply come as needy children to a loving Father, prayer becomes less a frustrating duty and more a vital, life-giving connection.
Call to Action: Stop waiting until you feel "good enough" to pray. Come to God exactly as you are today – messy, distracted, needy. Practice asking Him for specific needs, big or small. Ask Him to grow your
*Summaries and transcripts are generated using AI.
Please notify us if you find any errors.