Amen

Prayer can be a powerful thing.  But sometimes it gets wordy.  Have you ever been at someone's house and they pray for a meal and you wonder if they're praying to god or their audience?

I know of a few.  You know the kind that says Dear Lord every three words?

Now I pray with my kids every night at dinner and Thing 1 usually likes to do it.  Thing 2 usually babbles along or throws his cup on the ground but today Thing 1 wanted me to do it.  I don't want to get wordy, and I don't want to pray to an audience.  Typically her prayer goes 'Dear god, thanks for bible stories, eating, Mommy, Daddy, Baby Adam and Hailey.'  She cuts to the quick, says what's on her heart and what she's thankful to god for.  It doesn't need to be padded or wordy, god knows what's on your heart anyways, saying it out loud is just a courtesy.  No need to make it flowery, he hears it twice.

So my pray at dinner went like this...
Dear God,
Thank you for our food and our home, thank you for Mommy, Daddy, Baby Adam and Hailey.  Please keep Daddy safe on his drive home from work so he can be with us.  Amen.

What I am thankful for and what I am asking him for in it's simplest form.  That's it.  That's how it always should be.  A friend once described the wordy people overly churchy type as 'Easter' people.  I like to think of myself as a 'Thanksgiving' person.  Someone perpetually thankful for their life, love and blessings and praying to keep those things safe.

A book suggestion for you, 'Heaven is real' by Todd Burpo
I normally try not to, advertise I guess for religion, god, Christianity because I know it's not for everyone and I know there are varying degrees of faith, but please.  Read this.  It's an amazing book.  For believers, non-believers and every flavor in between.  It's a book about love, being a parent, being scared and faith and I read it on the recommendation of a good friend and I was not disappointed.  I read it in 3 hours only breaking to make dinner.  Please read <3