The other day I was at a service where a little girl prayed. She was a kindergartener I believe. Super cute. It was so sweet hearing her tiny voice in a microphone.

Here recently my daughter has really gotten bold in praying for our dinners. She makes us hold hands and then she sounds off this sweet little prayer for our food and for our family and a variety of other things. You never really know what you are going to get.

And of course, if big sister prays, then John William has to as well. My little three year old’s prayers sound more like a german kid than english “Tank ewe Got food Amen.”

He might be speaking German, but it is cute. When Vivi and Will pray, I have this heart warming experience knowing they are genuinely talking to God. Sure, Will doesn’t fully understand yet, but I guarantee you God loves it. I know he does because I do, and I am not even the focus of their prayer.

As I listened to that little girl at that service, I was moved at the thought of how sweet that was in God’s ears. I bet he stops the choruses of heaven so he can listen better. In my mind’s eye I see him leaning in, elbows on his knees as he sits on his throne, smiling, laughing, loving it.

God loves it when children pray. God loves it when we pray.

I will be 38 years old this month. I have definitely outgrown the child stage of life, but if you ask my momma and daddy, I am still their child. I get treated it like it sometimes. When my mom found out I was going to Africa in November, she put together and sent to me a bag of stuff I would need so I wouldn’t catch the Zika virus. I can go to Walmart and get some deep woods off, but I am her child and she wanted to take care of me.

I know God loved hearing that little girl pray, that little child, but he loves to hear you pray too, not only because you are coming to him, but because you are his child. You may have passed the child stage in life, but just like how I am to my mother, you will never not be his child.

I don’t know where you are in your relationship with him, but you need to know he loves you. He wants to talk to you. He wants to hear your voice. He wants to share in your victories and your struggles. He is longing to have a conversation with you. I am convinced that he loves the sound of our voices when we pray.

One thing I am going to miss about my kids as they age is their little voices. We have tons of videos of Vivi when she was younger and her little voice was so cute. Will does the same thing now. I am trying to remember every moment, every detail of those sweet little voices. I have put my faith in Jesus Christ and have made him Lord and that means I am a child of God. I think as much as I love the sound of my own children, God loves the sound of us.

So would you take a minute and talk to your father in Heaven? He loves you, adores you, and I believe that he is seated on his throne, elbows on his knees, leaning in, just waiting to silence heaven to hear what you have to pray. It is easy to love a God, a father who loves us so much. He does love you. So speak to him. Pray. Let him in. Let him share in your life. I’ve found that when I do, I begin to embrace his plan for me, his love for me, his will for my life. He loves your voice, and he wants to give you the life you never imagined you could have. Pray. God is listening.