Emergence of the Mini-Prayer

Jelly Bean is almost one, and she is getting quite the attitude!  She HATES the word no, and she will sure let you know (by doing her crooked cry) that she does not appreciate it, while simultaneously reaching for the PlayStation cord in slow motion as if her tears cause blindness in adults.  I once again tell her no, with the beginning of ear-steam boiling up.  Then I stop, and I pray.

Most of the time this is a very short prayer.  “God, help me see the good in disciplining Ellie, Amen,”  or, “Help me know when to not lose it on my child, Amen.”  I have found that these little mini prayers give me time to chill for a second before thumping the back of Jelly Bean’s hand or just telling her to go ahead and cry…

I read a book once where the main character would stop for little one to two sentence prayers, and it changed the way I view prayer.  It doesn’t have to be a long drawn out reverent worship; a prayer can just be a short conversation, praise, or request.  These mini-prayers have really helped me through the beginnings of discipline with Jelly Bean, not only to cool me off but to help answer the questions of when to start and how.

Think of how mini-prayers can help in your life.  Can you think of any examples?