More on prayer

As I was trimming and painting Mikayla's fingernails yesterday, I startled chuckling remember what an ordeal it used to be. She injured her big toe at about age 2, and had a nail-cutting phobia from then on. Every time was a fight. Once when she was about 4, I'd been persuading and fussing and ordering and she'd been whining and begging and squirming when she blurted out, "Can I pray?" I told her yes, of course, please do. So she threw herself down, kneeling forehead to the floor like a little bitty Muslim, stayed there about a minute, then got up, calmly climbed on my lap and let me finish. She was the funniest little thing.
Do your kids have habit prayers? We don't teach memorized prayers, but you would think we do to listen to them. I even wrote down their earliest repetitive ones in their baby books.
Jessica, age 4 (the verbal one): Dear Lord, Thank you for the food {no matter what time it is or what we're doing}, and all the wonders, and just praise our lives, and bless Mamaw and Papaw and Gran and help Grandad have a good time in heaven."
Mikayla, age 2: Deah Lo'd, Tatu food, um--close yoah eyes! {in stage whisper to her sister} tatu food, amen.
They both still thank God for "this food and this day", even if there's no food anywhere near us. And they both say, "Help me not to have any bad dreams or weird dreams and to remember there are angels around my house and bed."
Rebecca says: Dear God, Help me to be good and be safe, and help Mommy and Daddy to be good, and Jessica and Mikayla to be good, and Gran and Mamaw to be good...
One night a little while ago Mike decided to try to guide her prayer a little, by whispering ideas to her. We got a little tickled when she said, "And help our church to be good." Maybe that's not such a bad prayer!