Can’t Hurt to Ask

Jenelle and I lead the Jr Youth at our church. Usually there are somewhere between ten and twenty kids, ages 11 to 14. It's fun seeing them grow up from being kids to being mini adults, each in the uniqueness that only God could create.

Although we do have one night a month that is strictly fun, for the most part we follow a weekly routine that starts with happys and crappys. Happys and crappys is the time when each person shares at least one happy from the past week and crappys are welcome too. After that we do a short Bible study followed by prayer time which is followed by snacks which is followed by games.

For the prayer time we encourage the kids to share prayer requests. Often the prayers are for cats and dogs, chickens, pigeons, grandparents and parents. Sometimes the prayers take on a more serious and somber note, like when someone dies or something traumatic happens, but usually they seem, well I'll just say it. Childish.

As an adult I often tend to think that prayers should be saved for the more serious things. Even though I know that that is wrong theology, God wants us to pray about everything. I guess that I've picked up on it somewhere along the line. Maybe it's just my natural inclination to think that God doesn't care about the little things. I really don't ever recall being told that or reading it in the Bible. To clarify, I do think that God does want us to pray about the little things. I just catch myself from time to time thinking the other way. And the kids are driving home the point.

I've often felt the need to tell the kids “ you can't pray for that,” when they ask for something that seems a little bit selfish. I don't actually say it, but there is a part of me that wants to. 

I love it that there are a couple of kids in our group that remind me of a younger me. Hunting, fishing, and enjoying the outdoors every chance they get. Last spring one of them requested prayer that they would find a big ole shed antler. I probably rolled my eyes as I stammered through the prayer, but I specifically and dutifully prayed that he would find a shed. Wouldn't you know it, the next week he showed up with a big ole shed from an eight point, just like he requested. Guess what? All of a sudden everyone was wanting prayer for everything, from finding sheds to winning soccer games. We thanked God for the shed and I tried to explain to the kids that God doesn't always answer our prayers the way we would like. After all, if there are two teams playing and someone on the other team is praying to win as well, what would God do? One of the girls said, “well it can't hurt to ask”.

I think she was right. 

Two weeks ago one of the boys quipped, “can we pray that I get a turkey”. We did.

And then last week his dad texted me to ask if I could make a wingbone turkey call, because Kohen shot a turkey.

I like making calls from turkey wings and so I said sure and told him to bring a wing along to the youth group next Wednesday. It's a fun story to be a part of.

In our prayer time, I'm sure that we'll thank God for the turkey. And I'm pretty sure that we'll be getting lots of requests from the other turkey hunters in the group, wanting a turkey. I think that instead of telling the kids not to be selfish in their prayers, I'll tell them that God loves it when we ask and likes to bless us from time to time. And that he really does love us and cares about the little things.

And then maybe, since I've been getting skunked this turkey season, maybe I'll ask for them to ask God to get me a big ole turkey. 

After all, it can't hurt to ask!