If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given you.

John 15:7

I've been working with my seven-year-old son, Harrison, to focus on his faith journey and his prayer life. As part of that commitment, when he was going through first communion classes at his Mom's church, I purchased a rosary for him, and one for me. As is often the case, sharing in Harrison's faith lessons has enriched my own faith. I began to pray the rosary so that I could teach him. In doing so I found the peace that can come from repeated prayer.

When I was ready to teach Harrison, I prayed for guidance. I wanted to be able to come up with prayers that he could remember, something that would have meaning for him, too. I shouldn't have worried. Harrison came up with appropriate prayers for each set of beads. Not surprisingly, each was taken from his favorite choruses from songs that we've been playing in the truck since he was old enough to listen. I suggested the Lord's Prayer for the cross, then he came up with "Awesome God" for the first bead, "Sword and Shield" for the cruciform beads and "All in All" for the weeks.

I was pleased that he was eager about praying and we stayed up together praying and singing the rosary that first night. Soon, though I could see that he had assigned some kind of magical significance to the rosary itself. As we talked about the fact that the rosary was just a tool to help him get into a prayerful attitude, something to help him remember his prayers, I realized that recently, I had a similar experience.

Several months ago, a friend introduced me to The Prayer of Jabez, by Bruce Wilkinson. I found the book and prayer helped me focus my walk with God and recently the devotional has really blessed my quiet times with renewed introspection. However, when talking with friends about their experiences with the prayer, I became uncomfortable. I realized that they were looking at the prayer in the same way that Harrison viewed the rosary. Several implied that the prayer, if said correctly and repeated daily, would magically deliver positive answers to their prayer requests, would make them rich, would increase their business, and so on.

For me, the prayer and book have both worked magic in my relationship with God, but not because the words give me some special influence over God. Instead, the magic they have worked is in my approach to God. In praying the prayer and using it as a structure for my prayer time, I have changed. I have become more open to the Christ within me. When Christ is in me, the things I desire, the things that I pray for are in line with God's will in my life.

I have become open to God's blessing in my life, whatever that may be. I have become willing to let God bring people into my life that he can touch through me (God enlarges my territory). I have become aware of God working in situations where I cannot do for myself (God's hand has been with me). I have become willing to give my struggles with sin over to him each day (God keeps me from evil); because, I have seen the pain my actions have brought to me and to others and don't want to cause any more pain.

Prayer: Lord, Oh that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory; that your hand would be with me and that you would keep me from evil so that I may not cause pain.
"The prayer of Jabez"
- 1 Chronicles 4:10