Hailing the Chief

“Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). 

This week, while going through my files, I came across a wonderful article about prayer.

The author portrays God as the Commander in chief. He has many responsibilities, countless phone calls to make, letters to sign and talks to prepare.  However, He is looking forward to the meetings He has scheduled with some very important people.

His executive assistant opens the door and shows in the first person. This woman, without even acknowledging the President, sits down and recites a memorized prayer: “Thank you for the world so sweet, thank you for the food we eat, thank you for the birds that sing, thank you sir, for everything. Goodbye.”  Before the President could even respond, she got up and left the room.

The next person was a stout man in a business suit. He also ignores the President.  This man begins to pray using long, religious-sounding words and then, he also, leaves the room.

There were several others, including a woman who falls asleep while talking to the President, a young man who is terribly disrespectful. An elderly man who recites a long list of prayer requests. All of them ignore the Person they were talking to—they only wanted things from Him.

Then a little boy is ushered into the room.  By then the President is very discouraged.  He had so looked forward to visiting with His guests. The little boy sat down politely, folded his hands and waited. The President asked the boy, “Isn’t there.— something you want to tell me? Something you want to ask me, or say?”

The little boy looked down for a moment—–thinking. Then he looked up. “Yes,” he said. “I guess there is.”

“Well, what is it?’ the President asked.

“Thank you for inviting me,” the boy said. “That’s all.”

When the President heard that, he couldn’t say anything for a while. All He could do was smile. But then they talked and talked and talked for the longest, most wonderful time.