Bedtime Prayers

Some of our sweetest moments with Jenae come at the end of each day when we get in her room to pray before she goes to sleep. We started by always praying over her. As she grew, we moved into the repeat-after-me prayers, which were also precious. And, now she prays by herself...most of the time.

This journey has been amazing to me. Many nights she would be fussing in her crib and we'd go in there to try to calm her down. If we just talked to her she'd keep crying and asking to get out. However, the moment we'd start to pray she would get still and quiet and just listen. It was wild. Sometimes that would be enough and she'd go on to sleep. Other times, she'd hear the "Amen" and go right back to fussing. During the prayer though she'd always quiet down. I hope as she grows she continues to have such a heart for prayer.

Tonight I just wanted to share some of the things I love about my little girls' prayers:

• She can't pray if she isn't moving. The moment she starts praying she starts to wiggle and she doesn't get still until she says, "Amen."
• If you try to guide her prayers, helping her name things, she will stop, look at you and say, "Sshhh! It my turn. Sshhh! It my turn." She always says it twice. Sometimes even if you didn't say a word.
  
• For a while, she would start her prayers, "God, our Father." We think she got this from a prayer song we sometimes sing at meals...which doesn't count as a prayer to her. Even after we sing it she makes us hold hands to say a prayer. Now, she usually begins her prayers with, "Dear God..."
  
• I love to hear what's going on in her mind. Most of our prayers are "Thank you, God, for..." The ones that always melt my heart, and usually at the front of the list, are: Momma, Daddy and Baby Sister.
• Some of the more unusual thanks include: her diaper, walls, pillows, closet, pink light, fan, door--basically anything she can see in her room. Tonight, wearing our princess night gown, she prayed for Sleeping Beauty, Arial, Belle and Cinderella, and the Mean Cat. She often thanks God for her 'friends' and her 'new friends.'
  
• We always kiss hands and give squeeze hugs after our prayers.
• Her Daddy would want you to know that the first time she, on her own, told him she loved him was with a hug after our prayers. "I love you, Daddy."

I think I'll go now and thank God for a few of my blessings, too. Good night!