Prayer Time

Tonight we were beginning our bedtime prayers and we were talking to the girls about a format they could use in their prayer time. Our Journey Groups Pastor spoke on this format on Sunday and it was simple enough for the girls to follow. The four steps are:
1. Thank God for something
2. Tell God what you love about him
3. Tell Him you are sorry
4. Ask Him for help

So, we took each step and the girls broke their prayers down into these four categories. They did great on steps one and two. Then it came time for step 3. ...telling God we are sorry. First Emma said she had nothing to say she was sorry for. She couldn't think of anything she had done wrong that day. (I was biting my lip not to remind her of the list I had quickly thought of for her.) Well, while I kept silent her older sister proceeded to try to chime in and remind her of all the wrongs she had committed against her. I politely reminded Hannah that it is not our job to heap condemnation on others or remind them of their mistakes. I asked Emma if she had thought of something she needed to tell God she was sorry for. She then remembered that five minutes prior to prayer time she had pushed Hannah down in the bathroom as they raced to get their toothbrushes. So, she asked for forgiveness for that one wrong doing. As she finished praying, Hannah leaned over in her bed and looked down at Emma and said, "Emma aren't there some more things you need to say your sorry for. You're not finished are you?" I had to chuckle out loud. Isn't it always easier to point the finger at others' wrong doings and not our own. We want everyone else to be accountable for their mistakes, but overlook our own!

Well, when it came to Hannah's turn she quickly repented for yelling at her sister today and when I asked her if she was finished, she replied, "Yep, that's pretty much all I have to say."

It's so hard for us to admit when we have done wrong isn't it? Hannah even said so tonight. When we were discussing why we needed to tell God we were sorry she said, "It's hard to tell the things you've done wrong." I didn't tell her tonight but I will remind her tomorrow morning to thank the Lord that his mercies are new every morning and we get a second chance each day to do better than we did the day before and hopefully by his grace and help we'll have less things to say we're sorry for tomorrow night than we did tonight. (Of course, the girls are already well ahead of me...since they only had one thing each to confess tonight! :)

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