Prayer Tip--Where Two or Three are Gathered
Daily Scripture
Matthew 19:13-15 (NIV)
Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.
Daily Reflection & Prayer
What if the kingdom of heaven feels like sticky fingers wrapped around yours during a walk? Like laughter that bursts out in the middle of a quiet sanctuary? Like a question asked so honestly, it stops you in the middle of your thoughts and challenges your beliefs?
In this sacred encounter found in Matthew 19, Jesus isn’t offering a metaphor—he’s making a radical claim: children already live within the rhythm of God’s reign. Their whole being participates in divine reality. They show up fully. They trust without explanation. They wonder aloud. They belong.
Fall programming begins next week, and young people come to church, Sunday School, preschool, Matthew’s Ministry, and youth groups, small groups, and Bible studies. Perhaps we don’t just open the church doors for youth to come in as we imagine or plan. Instead, maybe we thoughtfully approach this season in their way of being with God. Their questions are liturgies. Their joy is doxology. Their presence is theology in motion.
To live like a child of God is not to “get it right” but to be brave enough to get close. Close enough to trust. Close enough to dance. Close enough to receive a blessing. In a world that often runs on anxiety and achievement, the young remind us to return to something deeper, something truer.
There is a quiet revolution in living this way. It isn’t loud, but it is holy. To live as Jesus invites—to become like a child—is to imagine again. To reach out again. To know we are loved before we perform, accepted before we understand, blessed simply because we came close.
This Sunday, pay attention to the youngest ones in the room. Let their awe become your teacher. Find one moment to practice childlike faith:
· Notice something beautiful and thank God out loud.
· Ask a question about your faith and wait—without rushing to solve it.
· Sit still with your hands open, like a child ready to receive.
If you’re connected to a child or teenager, tell them what you see in them that reflects God’s love. If you’re not, send a prayer into the world for a child you’ll never meet—may they grow up surrounded by sacred imagination.
Join me in this prayer this week.
Prayer
God of wonder, You meet us in giggles and tears, questions and quiet trust. Teach me to come to you the way children do—eager, unfiltered, held. As our church prepares for a new season of ministry with children, youth, and adults, help me slow down and pay attention. Let my soul soften enough to be surprised again by your nearness. In their presence, may I rediscover what it means to live fully alive in you. Amen.
GPS Insights
Debbie Dellinger
Debbie Dellinger, who serves as an Intern of Connection and Care at Resurrection, wrote this week's prayer tip.
