Last weekend, our 5 year old finally got her
first bible and her joy knew no bounds. She has consistently been requesting to
own a bible with her name written on it for months now. Her interest
peaked just after she became proficient in reading and had begun
reading her sister’s copy.
Our commitments at buying her a Bible didn’t
come to fruition until last Saturday. It almost seemed like Didi’s constant
request fell on deaf ears. Little did she know that our desire to
grant her request was strong but we could not properly manage our itinerary to
stop by at our preferred bookshop.
And so daddy came through on our promise last Saturday and made the grand presentation to Didi on Sunday morning; her joy
could not be quantified. She proudly carried her long desired gift to church
and warned everyone off her new treasure. From her sister to seat mate in
church, she made sure she repeatedly told them that it was a brand new bible
and must not get stained or torn. I am yet to understand such excitement!
Most nights, my girls take turns in reading a
chapter of Psalms or Proverbs to each other before they go to bed. This routine
comes handy on days I get caught up with kitchen chores and their bed time creeps
in; this routine makes it easier for them to observe their bedtime devotion
without my supervision. The advent of Didi’s new bible made last
Sunday’s evening devotion somewhat special, she eagerly asked to lead in
the reading of the Psalms and the subsequent prayer session, so we all
obliged.
Psalm 121 has been our focus this month and so
after the reading, daddy asked the girls to take turns in praying using the
Psalms they had read. You can’t imagine how Psalm 121 punctuated every line of
Didi’s prayer;
Below is the translation of Psalm 121 in her
bible
I look up to the hills. Where
does my help come from?
does my help come from?
My help
comes from the Lord. He is the Maker of heaven and earth.
comes from the Lord. He is the Maker of heaven and earth.
He won’t
let your foot slip.
let your foot slip.
He who
watches over you won’t get tired.
watches over you won’t get tired.
In fact,
he who watches over Israel won’t get tired or go to sleep.
he who watches over Israel won’t get tired or go to sleep.
The Lord
watches over you. The Lord is like a shade tree at your right hand.
watches over you. The Lord is like a shade tree at your right hand.
The sun
won’t harm you during the day.
won’t harm you during the day.
The moon
won’t harm you during the night. T
won’t harm you during the night. T
he Lord
will keep you from every kind of harm.
will keep you from every kind of harm.
He will
watch over your life.
watch over your life.
The Lord
will watch over your life no matter where you go, both now and forever.
will watch over your life no matter where you go, both now and forever.
Psalm 121:1-8 NIRV
And here is Didi’s prayer
–
–
“Dear Lord, I thank you for today
I thank you for church and all my friends
I thank you for daddy, mummy …
Oh lord we will be safe under the shade of a
tree when we have to wait for daddy to come and pick us.
tree when we have to wait for daddy to come and pick us.
We will be safe in your shade as we sleep this
night so we will not be afraid even when we find a big cockroach in our toilet.
night so we will not be afraid even when we find a big cockroach in our toilet.
Please give us the power to use a big slippers
to kill it or use insecticide.
to kill it or use insecticide.
Give us a sound sleep and oh God, do not sleep or
get tired,
get tired,
but help us wake up tomorrow with strength
In Jesus name I pray”.
We all
chorused “Amen”, amidst muffled laughter.
chorused “Amen”, amidst muffled laughter.
Didi’s
prayers can sometimes sound like storytelling; nevertheless I am happy at her
conscious attempts to pray especially in line with the scriptures.
prayers can sometimes sound like storytelling; nevertheless I am happy at her
conscious attempts to pray especially in line with the scriptures.
Train up a
child in the way he should go and he will not depart from it. – Proverbs 22:6
child in the way he should go and he will not depart from it. – Proverbs 22:6
#gratefulheart #raisinggodlychildren #babystepsatpraying #lifelessons
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