God Hears Every PrayerSample

God Always Listens

In Kaylee Prays for the Children of the World, Kaylee sees a picture of a young boy living in a tent in Turkey and feels overwhelmed with sadness. Kaylee and her grandfather, Halbi, usually pray together, but Kaylee doesn’t know where to start.

Halbi puts his arm around Kaylee and asks, “Kaylee, how would you like to pray for the world today?”

“I don’t know, Halbi,” Kaylee says. “There is so much to pray for!”

Her thoughts feel jumbled and tumbled inside her mind.

Have you ever felt like Kaylee and didn’t know what to say? Have you ever felt like your voice is too small to be heard? Maybe you've whispered a prayer in your bedroom or quietly spoken to God during a difficult moment. Here's the most wonderful news: God always listens! God listens to prayers that are spoken out loud, and prayers that are kept in our hearts. Big prayers, small prayers, happy prayers, or scared prayers—God hears them all!

In the story, Kaylee remembers a verse in the Bible about how God’s Spirit can help when she doesn’t have the words to pray. "The Holy Spirit helps us when we are weak. We don’t know what we should pray for. But the Spirit himself prays for us. He prays through groans too deep for words"(Romans 8:26 NIRV).

When Kaylee remembers that the Holy Spirit is there to help her, she is able to find the words and pray together with Halbi. God sends the Holy Spirit to be our helper—to guide us and remind us of God’s goodness. When we can’t find the words to pray, we can always call out to the Holy Spirit, just like Kaylee.

Is there anything in your life you have a hard time finding words to pray about? Here is a prayer you can use to ask the Holy Spirit to help!

Prayer:

Dear Holy Spirit, thank you for being here to guide me. Help me to listen to your gentle voice. Help me find the words to pray.

Activity:

Praying Through Art

There are so many ways to pray! Sometimes, when we can’t find the words, we can use art to communicate our prayers to God. Using a piece of paper and crayons, markers, or colored pencils, draw a picture to show God what is in your heart. If you’re not sure what to draw, use these questions to help you get started!

• How are you feeling today? What colors would you use to represent those feelings?
• Is there something in nature that would help express how you’re feeling? A peaceful ocean? A powerful storm? A colorful field of wildflowers?