When asked what they wanted to learn in fifth grade catechism, one petite ten-year-old girl said, “We want to learn how to pray, Teacher.”
Jimmy sneered. “Everyone knows how to pray. You just memorize a bunch of words.”
“That’s one kind of prayer, Jimmy,” I said smiling. Eager to share what I’d been learning, I continued. “Conversational Prayer is another kind.”
Thus began an incredible experience for two newly-saved university students and Sister Mary Margaret’s thirty hand-picked “Hot Dogs.” The class, made up of kids seasoned-teachers refused to accept, lived up to the nun’s label–until God touched them.
Each week Liz recorded and dated the children’s prayer requests on our special chart. As the Tuesdays passed, the answers and dates completed the line. We had only one hold-out. Prayer disgusted Jimmy, until one late-November day.
“Where’s the chart? Where’s the chart?” Jimmy ran into the classroom, shouting. “God’s gotta help me!”
His urgency set my heart racing as I launched my silent prayer, Oh Jesus, please help Jimmy, whatever it is he needs so desperately.
“Teacher, everyone’s gotta pray. This’s a big one,” Jimmy said, dropping into his seat with a thud.
I imagined the worst—cancer, deadly accident, pending divorce. To Jimmy, his need was just as serious. Excitement grew as each child took his seat; Jimmy had a prayer request.
“Okay, Jimmy, you may share your prayer request,” I said.
Rather than speaking from his own desk, Jimmy sprinted to stand next to mine. “It’s the math test on Friday. If I don’t get at least a B, I’ll flunk this dumb class for the whole semester. My dad’ll kill me,” Jimmy said, switching from one foot to the other. “I’m in such a mess right now!” Moans of understanding rippled through his riveted classmates.
“We’ll pray for you and your math test,” I said. “God can help you learn the math. How can God show you the exact time He wants you to study?”
Jimmy’s drawn brows let me know the wheels of thought had been engaged. Grinning, Jimmy said, “After school, I watch cartoons. I guess if I came home and like the President was giving some speech, I’d know God was saying it was time to study.”
The request duly recorded on the chart, my heart warmed as I listened to his classmates pray for Jimmy’s need. How I longed for Jimmy to know God loved him and cared about his prayers.
The following Tuesday, I watched Liz secure the chart, thinking about Jimmy. Many prayers didn’t have immediate answers, but Jimmy’s had a built-in response date. For this one day, we’d begin with “Prayer Request Time.”
Demonstrating his usual flare for the dramatic, Jimmy shot up to the front of the room the instant Prayer Request time was announced. “Yes, Jimmy,” I said, smiling and scooting to the edge of my seat. “Tell us what happened.”
“Teacher! I was so scared; I thought I’d die. Course, I had to study, didn’t I? I mean, God could’ve kilt me, if I didn’t, couldn’t He?” Jimmy locked those piercing blue eyes on mine.
“God does want us to obey Him. How about telling us what happened?”
“By Thursday, I’d forgotten all about the math test. I turned on the television, flopped down against the sofa, and waited for my cartoons. Remembering my snack, I ran to the kitchen to get it. On my way back, I heard it–the President’s voice. The President was giving a speech when my cartoons should be on. Every single channel had the President giving his boring speech.”
Jimmy took a quick breath before continuing, “Right when I was thinking, ‘hey, what’s the President doing on my television instead of my cartoons?’ Like a big invisible bolt of lightning hit me, and I fell back against the sofa. The President! I had to study, right now!
“I grabbed my math book, and told my mom not to bother me until the President stopped talking. ‘Don’t even come get me for supper, unless the President’s finished. I’ve gotta study for my math test,’” Jimmy acknowledged the gasps of his classmates with a slight pause and a nod, before finishing his tale, “I locked my bedroom door, just to be sure no one stopped me.”
“Wow, Jimmy, how’d you do on the test?” Liz said.
“Humph! I got an A! I ain’t never got an A on a test in my whole life!”
“Hallelujah!” erupted from hot dogs and teachers. “God cares!”
Do you have a story about children learning to apply faith in their own lives? I’d love to read it. I find it immensely heartwarming when our kids learn how much God cares about them, personally.
If you’d like to read more about our little Hot Dogs, the thread of this true story can be found by clicking the following link:
