Prayers of the BibleSample

How skilled are you at playing hide-and-seek?

My guess is you’re not as skilled at hiding as you were when you were a child. With longer limbs and a bigger body, squeezing into tight spaces isn’t easy. Most likely, you look ridiculous when you play hide-and-seek and are easily found.

In today’s Bible reading, Adam and Eve play hide-and-seek with God and look just as ridiculous. God made Adam and Eve in His image and likeness, then created Eden to be a home for humanity and Himself. In the garden, Adam and Eve experienced God’s presence. Daily, they “heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden” and had conversations with Him.

But then, tragically, Adam and Eve disobeyed God. Instead of repenting and seeking His grace, they hid. Concealing themselves among the trees, they played a futile game of hide-and-seek—a game that was both pointless and ridiculous. When God confronted them, He could have ended humanity, but instead, God extended grace. He removed Adam and Eve from the garden in the hope that one day they would see the error of their ways, return to Him, and long for His presence once again.

Today, we don’t encounter God in the garden, but we can hear the “sound of the LORD” through prayer. In prayer, we can experience God’s presence and have communion with Him. In a way, we can re-enter the garden and experience His presence.

But to encounter God, we need to stop playing hide-and-seek. We need to stop running from God, slow down our souls, sit still, and pray.

In this series, Prayers of the Bible, our hope is that as you reflect on the prayers found in Scripture, you will be inspired to pray. You will be encouraged to make space in your day to stop hiding from God and instead draw near to Him.

Today, ponder this: What stops you from praying? Is there an area in your life where you’re playing hide-and-seek with God, ashamed of a sin you don’t want to surrender to Him? Take time to reflect, stop hiding, and invite His presence into that part of your life.