“First you scoop up a BIG handful of snow, then you pack it together.” I ran my hand across the surface of the bathwater and gathered a handful of bubbles. I pantomimed packing it into a ball.

“After that,” I continued, “you rolllll it along the ground until it gets bigger and bigger. That’s the bottom ball. You do it two more times, and you have a snowman.”

I glanced at six-year-old Caroline, whose smiling eyes danced at the picture I pantomimed. My grandchildren are growing up in the South Carolina Midlands, where it snows about once a decade.

“Oh, Caroline!” I paused. “You’ve never seen snow in South Carolina! I hope we get snow this winter so you can make a snowman.”

“Yes!” she said. “Let’s pray.”

Let’s pray, indeed.

So there in the bathtub, surrounded by soap bubbles, she closed her eyes, and I prayed.

“Dear God, please send snow this winter so Caroline can make a snowman. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.”

We opened our eyes, and she gave a nod of assurance. It was settled. Snow was on the way.

I wasn’t so sure, oh me of little faith, so I added a silent prayer.

Father, please reward this little girl’s faith and make it grow. Send us snow this winter.

November became December, which turned into January. One weekend the forecast looked promising, but only freezing rain materialized. Caroline and I continued to pray.

This past Saturday, we awoke to two inches of the most beautiful snow I’ve ever seen. It was beautiful in its own right, but Caroline’s snow prayer made the fluffy white stuff even more special. I knew it was a love gift straight from heaven to a tiny girl who had faith enough to ask her heavenly Father for what her heart desired.

Thank you, Father, for hearing Caroline’s prayer and answering it in such a special way. Thank you for using her childlike faith to grow mine. Remind me, every day, that you love to hear the prayers of your children, and you delight to give us good gifts. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.

Mark 10:13-16

Does Your Prayer Life Need Refreshing?

We know Bible reading and prayer are vital parts of our faith, but what happens when our prayer lives become stagnant and our quiet times grow stale? We need something more than just familiar verses and the command to pray. In Refresh Your Prayers, Uncommon Devotions to Unlock Power and Praise, Lori Hatcher shares relevant, five-minute devotions that spotlight unusual prayer verses in the Bible.

Each devotion ends with a Power Point (a spiritual truth to empower your faith) and a Praise Prompt (a short prayer designed to magnify God and make your faith soar). The Live It Out section challenges you to apply what you’ve learned right now for immediate change.

If you’re tired of your all-too-quiet quiet time, Refresh Your Prayers is the answer.

The UNcommon Book on Prayer – Unusual Devotions to Unlock Power and Praise

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