Learning From First Graders

I spend my Wednesday nights in Stillwater working at LifeChurch.tv with the children's ministry. I co-lead a group of 10 first graders at a weekly event called KONNECT. I have been so blessed this year by these incredible first graders. What I thought would be me teaching these kids about Jesus and His love for us has turned into them teaching me about Jesus every single Wednesday night.

As I was leaving KONNECT tonight, I couldn't help but think about all the things my first graders have taught me this year so far. They have taught me so much on what it looks like to love & care for others. They have taught me on what it looks like to work together. They have shown me Jesus' love every single Wednesday night. It doesn't matter what kind of night it is--those kids never fail to teach me something.

And tonight, they did it again. Throughout the evening at KONNECT that kids travel to different rooms where there are different activities waiting for them. At the end of the night my 10 first graders, along with my co-leader, Brooklyn, and myself, meet back up into our "circle group." In circle group we may ask the students questions about the night or lesson, go over the Bible verse, or take prayer requests. Tonight I asked the kids if they had any prayer requests. Every single kid raised their hand. We went around and each kid presented their prayer request to the group. I then asked if any of them would like to say the prayer. I expected there to be one kid that would just say a general prayer for the group and be done with it. Instead, every single one of them decided to pray out loud tonight. I could not have been more proud of these kids.

As I was driving back with my roommate, Cortney, I was telling her about what had happened tonight in circle group. I just could not get over the fact that my whole group of sweet first graders all wanted to pray out loud (I just want you to know how big of a deal this is--usually we only have 1 kid willing to pray out loud). I then began thinking of how they prayed tonight. And the more I thought about it, the more amazed I became. These kids went around in a circle and presented their requests to God. They didn't add any "spiritual fluff" to their prayers--they just got straight to the point. They didn't babble on and on and on. They were sincere to God and extremely genuine. They knew God was hearing their prayers. It was in that moment of driving back from KONNECT that I realized that I need to be a lot more like my first graders when it comes to praying. So many times when I pray I just keep on talking & talking and add "spiritual fluff" to my prayers. I think that if I talk more and sound more spiritual, then maybe God will be more impressed with me and want to answer my prayers. I try to sound like I've got it all together. And when I pray out loud I feel like every word that comes out of my mouth needs to sound perfect. I sometimes get intimidated by people that pray out loud (& sound really good at it!). I then judge myself on how well my prayer sounds. But you know what?! God doesn't care about how well my prayer flows. He doesn't care if it sounds like a perfect little sentence. He cares about my heart. He cares that I come to Him with my requests and present them to him no matter how broken up my sentence might be. He cares that my heart is a heart that chases after Him. And if I am being honest, when I pray, my heart is not always in the right place. I seriously need to learn to pray like my first graders--with a pure heart after HIM with ALL attention focused on HIM. My first graders don't worry about what they sound like when they pray, they just pray. They talk to God and present their requests to Him--plain and simple. I love the challenge they have given me--and they don't even know they've done it. It's time I stop going on & on in my prayers and stop adding fluff to them. It's time to get simple-thank God for what He has done & present my requests to Him. It's time I stop worrying about what I sound like when I pray out loud--because God knows my heart & I don't need to impress Him. It really is simple-it's time to just get real with God.

I am so thankful for my first graders & every single thing they have taught me so far. I can't wait to see what else they teach me between now and May. Thank you God :)

"Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity." -1 Timothy 4:12

"I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy." -Psalm 116:1