Praying all the time

When do you pray? Some kids pray when they wake up in the morning or before they go to sleep at night. Others pray when they want something, when they're scared or to say "thank you" when they're happy.

Jesus was a little different than most kids. In this week's Gospel (John 15:9-17), we learn that no matter what was happening to Him, God was always on His mind.

"Just like my Father loves me, I love you," said Jesus. "Stay in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will stay in my love. This is my commandment: Love one another as I love you."

Praying is different for everyone. Some kids like to say prayers like the "Our Father" or "Hail Mary;" others just talk to God like another person. But if it isn't a special time to pray, like bedtime or church, and we're not scared or hoping for something to happen, then we might not even think about God.

Jesus wasn't like that. In the Gospel story, He told us that He loves us just like God the Father loves Him: all the time, whatever we're doing. Even when we're not thinking about God, God is thinking about us.

If you have a good friend, you probably think about that person even when you're not with them, and wish they were around. When Jesus told His story, He was hoping we'd be like that with Him.

"Stay in my love," Jesus was saying. "Don't wait until bedtime or church to talk to me! I want us to be best friends, and friends talk all the time. You can pray when you're happy, when you're sad and when you just want to say `hello!'"

Everybody prays differently, but Jesus did ask us to remember one rule about talking to God: Do it all the time. The best part of "staying in Jesus' love" is that we can do it by loving other people. Every time we're nice to someone, we're praying!

PRAYER FOR THE WEEK: Jesus, help me remember to talk to you often and to stay in your love by being good to other people! Amen.

(05-01-97) [[In-content Ad]]