Recently Livia began saying the prayer that for the past few years we have been sharing with her at dinner. Now, she recites it before every meal - reminding us - and on Monday we said it twice. She hasn't figured out that you say it before she begins eating (which is the moment food is placed before her) but she does boldly participate once we have sat down.
It is wonderful! Kids come to God with such an excitement that we adults have lost. At dinner at a restaurant recently Livia reminded us loudly when the bread had arrived that we needed to pray. Although it is our practice to pray while out, I did think that volume seemed to put me out a bit.
When I asked you all to make the list of 50 things that you were grateful for, I was asking you to do a pretty big task because to come up with 50 things you have to start getting pretty specific. When it comes to praying, as adults we put to much into the words we say or the thoughts behind them instead of the enthusiasm in which we own the prayer.
Our food time prayer is pretty simple and yet it states everything we want to say. Recently I was at a meeting in which I needed to pray and afterwards someone said that they wished they could just pray - and I encouraged them to just start practicing. Usually Prayer is considered a practice - and I think it can hold both meanings.
If you don't pray regularly at meals when not start? If you don't pray at night, try it. And if you can't think of anything to say, remember simple is always best.
