Tiny fingers clasped in front of their eyes, children pray in the most remarkable way. They don’t worry and fret. Instead, they confidently pray, “God, please heal my sick puppy. God, please make Mommy have another baby in her tummy.” And then they promptly forget about it and go on their merry way. Little ones have simple faith, and God answers their prayers. Have you become discouraged or tired in your prayer life? Does it seem that God isn’t answering you? Then it’s time to return to a simple, childlike faith.

Read on to learn how to pray with childlike faith.

1. Believe that God can do anything.

In Matthew 18:3, Jesus told His disciples, “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

Little children are often quick to believe on Jesus and trust that He can do anything.

But, as we grow older, we often lose some of that youthful hope. Of course God could do it, but is He really interested in our little problems? Doesn’t He expect us to just deal with it?

I used to think that, as I grew in my Christian faith, I would become more independent and strong.

But the opposite has been true. The closer I grow to God, the more I learn how much I need Him. I learn to be humble, to ask for help, and to pray often. Without His grace, I can do nothing.

God doesn’t expect us to live independently and find solutions to our own problems. He calls us to pray with childlike faith and to believe that He can do anything.

The only thing that limits God’s work in our lives is our own sin and unbelief. He has not changed. The God who parted the Red Sea is the same God who loves us.

If you are struggling to believe, ask God to help you use the faith that you have. Faith is a choice, not a feeling. You can choose to trust God with all your heart and pray for what you need (Proverbs 3:5-6). He will richly reward your faith!

2. Ask for exactly what you want.

I love how direct children are! They won’t hesitate to ask for exactly what they want. And God wants us to have that same frank, honest attitude with Him.

If you want something, ask God for it. He loves to show His power and care for His children.

For example, I have prayed for butter to go on sale when my mom was running low on butter for her bakery (and God has answered!) I have prayed for help in finding lost things. And I’ve prayed for the printer to start working again (haha!)

Of course, we should not pray for things which would be sinful or wrong for us. God can’t bless a prayer that is against His will.

We ought to learn to sift our desires through the Word so that we may blow away the chaff and keep the wheat. The more we love God, the more we will desire and pray for exactly what God desires for us. And He will delight in answering our prayers, even the smallest ones.

3. Persist in prayer.

How does a child respond when her mother says maybe? She usually keeps asking until she gets a yes!

If you want God to do something, you need to be like that little child. Persist in prayer! Don’t stop knocking on Heaven’s door until you get an answer.

That unsaved relative or friend may be just a few prayers away from a heart change. That seemingly impossible situation may be ten prayers short of God’s intervention. If you’re still here on earth, it’s too soon to give up praying!

Jesus commanded us, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye. shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:” (Matthew 7:7)

Only God can see how close the answer to your prayer is. Don’t quit now! Keep praying!

smiling woman wearing an earring — Photo by SHVETS production on Pexels.com

4. Be excited to see His answer to your childlike faith.

When children pray, they eagerly wait for an answer to their prayer. They expect that God will answer soon and do something wonderful.

As we get older, it can take longer to see answers to our prayers. But we should still wait in joyful anticipation of what God will do.

To strengthen our faith, we can look back and remind ourselves of God’s faithfulness (Philippians 4:7). The hymn “Count Your Blessings” reminds us to, “Count your many blessings, see what God has done.” This will encourage us as we wait on God to answer.

Instead of being discouraged or worried, let’s wait in joyful hope and be excited to see how God will answer our prayers.

Let’s Chat:

Have you struggled to pray with childlike faith? If so, which one of these points is most important for you right now? Please share your thoughts in the comments! Like children, God wants us to pray with simple faith. He wants us to ask for what we want and persist in prayer. Then He will delight in answering us!