Do the Prayers of Children have Greater Impact?

CBN.com Cincinnati, OH— Kids, “believe without doubt, trust without reservation, live without reluctance, sleep without worry, and laugh without restraint,” says Wayne Holmes. He believes the unobstructed confidence and blind faith of children have a direct bearing on how God views their petitions.

Children seem to have a direct connection to heaven. Their earnest prayers demonstrate confidence in a heavenly Father whose tender reach extends to every corner of their world. Their wholehearted expressions of love for others reflect a joy that can come only from God. And their unquestioning faith reveals the sort of simple trust many adults long to recapture in their own relationship with God.

“I think the closest I’ve ever come to seeing pure love is through the lives of children,” explains Holmes. In Whispering in God’s Ear (WaterBrook Press), he includes dozens of real-life prayers from children but also includes answers to prayer from well-known contributors.

Holmes says children’s prayers can be broken down into three categories: prayers for personal things, prayers for personal needs, prayers of thanks and prayers for assistance. Whispering in God’s Ear includes each of these, sometimes as spontaneously humorous as the words of a four-year-old trying to sleep, “God, I am having trouble sleeping! It sure would help if you would turn down the sun’s volume!”

As Holmes points out, “Children are almost always specific when they pray.” They believe. It is that simple. “Somewhere between childhood and adulthood,” he explains, “many people have lost the art of asking.” Perhaps it seems presumptuous, selfish or a waste of time. Whatever the reason, God is not offended when we ask in childlike faith.

This emotional collection of nearly 70 inspirational and sometimes comical stories offers a glimpse of God’s heart as seen through the eyes of children. It includes contributions from speakers and authors such as Shirley Dobson, John Eldredge, Ruth Bell Graham, Max Lucado, Beth Moore, Kay Arthur, and Eugene Peterson, who share stories from their own childhoods as well as lessons learned from their children and grandchildren.

Whether the prayers of children have greater impact or not, Holmes says, “They have a direct line with the Father, and they ask without qualifying their petitions. We need to pay attention. We too often allow our doubts to seep into our prayers. Not kids.”

Courtesy of Creative Resources, Inc.