So, this doesn't have anything to do with being married...except that last night I told Amy that Monday prayer with my 7th graders is challenging. I told her that I want to encourage the 7th graders to make prayer something more than just asking God for things, to make prayer a time of praise, confession, thanksgiving, etc. When I tried to suggest that we would just pray praise, they semi-pathetically asked if we would still do prayer requests. So, we did prayer requests, which took most of the time. Why? Because 7th graders, childlike faith and all, want to pray about everything. The hypothetical example I gave Amy last night was that they'll request prayer for themselves or a friend because of a family dog dying. Amy assured me that this is a devastating and tear worthy experience. I agree but am perhaps a little hardened to pray about it. However, I do not want to discourage these 7th graders from bringing every matter of life before God, and I want to encourage them to believe that God is over and concerned with all of life.
Fast forward to today. I decide to take prayer requests. The first request was "My dog Astro...last night cut his ear." This was shortly followed by "My friends the-so-and-so's can't find their cat...and he's a really nice cat." I think that the majority of the class thought that one to be a little bit of a stretch. We still prayed about it though. My solution was to take that request myself and make it a prayer about God's rule over creation and the pangs of it being fallen and constantly exposed to death. That said, is there a line to the prayer requests that you take? If a less cute pet dies should you pray about it? What if it is a rodent? If your pet gerbil dies should you pray about it. What if it was eaten by your pet cat which was merely doing what God created it to do, hunt. Should we pray for the animals that Walt kills?
-Thomas
I think you're right, that with children the most important lesson we want them to learn is that we can come to God with anything. When they're older they will mature in their requests to God. But I would rather over-correct in teaching them to bring their requests to God.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I tend to pray for people, not animals. :) Amy's right that a dog dying is very traumatic (especially if you're Amy) :) but my prayers would be more for the person than the event, etc.
Just my 2 cents...
Thomas' mom called this morning to wish him a happy birthday but also to remind him that when he was 12 he was praying to have contacts.
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