His First Prayer...

So Eli prayed aloud before lunch today, without any prompting. He said "Jesus, thank You for this day, for this pasta, AMEN!" I almost cried. The thought of our son acknowledging God is amazing to us! Until now, our prayers have been almost routine, similar at different times of the day. Although he often wants us to hold hands to pray at random moments, he has never actually prayed out loud. Aaron has a painting of a father kneeling at his son's bedside while he sleeps. In the window you can see a mighty angel fighting off a demon. The painting is called "Spiritual Warfare" by Ron DiCianni. Such a powerful depiction of what actually happens in the spiritual realm when we pray! Eli loves this painting. The other day, he knelt beside it and said "That's my Dadda. He's praying." Oh, that his little heart would be tender towards God! As he learns to communicate with our Heavenly Father, I pray that he learns to hear His voice, and that he remembers to intercede for others as well. Almost every night, when Aaron leads our family in prayer, he not only blesses us, he calls upon the God of the Universe to protect and guide us, and to prepare the hearts of our boys for Him. He is also teaching them the simple humility of bowing before our Mighty God and submitting to His will for our lives. Thank You, dear Jesus, for my husband, who is learning to submit to You, and in the process is leading our family!