I had a letter this week from Junior – the Haitian boy I sponsor through Compassion. He wrote that he wasn’t doing very well at school, didn’t pass, and had to repeat his class. He said: “I request your prayers for God to give me more skill in school”.
I loved that! I’m glad Compassion-staff are teaching Junior to think of God as a God who’s interested in him. To an adult, that sort of prayer might seem so small, but it’s important to God, because we’re important to Him.
Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Luke 12:6
We matter to God as people. How we cope in our day-to-day life matters. If you’re sponsoring a child – or even parenting one - I would really encourage you not to dismiss any of their prayers as little.
I still remember when I was about five years old, coming home and saying I was fed up of having school dinners. I was going to pray that tomorrow there would be something I liked for dinner. I’ve a feeling there would have been, but I was put-off praying that prayer because I was told: “There are starving people in Africa. I think God’s got more important things to think about”.
True, there are starving people in Africa. And they were in need, whereas I had plenty … but the message it gave me (unintentionally, I’m sure) was: ‘God’s more interested in them than He is in you’, and that’s just not true.
God is all-powerful. He’s capable of being everywhere at once, so it’s not a bad thing for us always to keep praying what’s on our hearts. And if we ask for anything too ridiculous, He can just say no!
What kind of things does your sponsorship child ask you to pray about?
Do you ever feel guilty about praying for certain things when you see such need in the world?
Tags: letter writing, prayer
I am 17 and from England. I love sponsoring my child who is in the Dominican Republic because I can wake up each morning having the satisfaction that he is in the loving, trustworthy hands of Compassion. I pray that he and his family realise that nothing is too small for Jesus, and that they send me their prayer requests in their first letter which I am waiting upon. May God bless every sponsor and ever child and family of the child being sponsored.
Hi Jacob,
Thanks for commenting. That’s lovely that you wake up every morning thinking of your boy in the DR. I know I loved my first letter; praying you’ll love yours and God will help you build a relationship with him.
Fantastic Jacob! Wonderful to hear how God is working through you in the life of this child. Let us know when you get that first letter!
SOOO TRUE Sarah! I am inspired to pray more regularly for the Compassion assisted children!
Thanks so much for commenting Darren. I’m glad you were inspired, and hope you see some great answers to your prayers! Sorry for the delay in replying to your comment; I’ve been without Internet for 3 weeks, but I’m back now.