One thing I love about being a dad is teaching my son about God in a way that he will understand. After following Christ for a while we tend to take things for granted or make things needlessly complicated. But it’s impossible to do this with small children.

Prayer is one area that we make needlessly complicated. You might wonder if you are saying the right thing or praying enough or if your prayers are “working.” The good news is that God already knows what we need (Matthew 6:8), cares deeply for us (1 Peter 5:7), and is never annoyed by our prayers (Luke 18:1).

Here are three types of prayers to get you started:

• Thank You
• Help
• I‘m Sorry

You just have to remember THIS!

Thank You

A frequent dinner question my wife and I ask our son is, “What made you happy today?” We take what he tells us and turn it into a prayer. “God, thank you for friends. Thank you for scooters. Thank you for the park.”

Even when things are bad, there is at least one thing you can thank God for. “Thank you for breath in my lungs. Thank you that you care about me. Thank you that I have a bed, even though I don’t have it in me to get out of it today.”

We can give thanks for who God is and for what he has done.

Help

“Helper” is a frequently used to describe God in the Old Testament. “We wait for the LORD; he is our help and shield” (Psalm 33:20). In John’s Gospel, Jesus uses the word paraclete to describe the Holy Spirit. It is translated “Counselor,” “Comforter,” “Advocate,” and “Helper” (John 14:16, 14:26, 15:26, 16:7). Jesus also tells us that we can do nothing apart from him (John 15:5).

God wants us to acknowledge our need for his help. He is a good Father who knows how to give good gifts to his children. We pray for ourselves and intercede on behalf of others. You can pray things like:

“Help me to be loving and kind today. Give me wisdom and strength to do your will. Please help my friend who has cancer. Help them to know you are near.”

I’m Sorry

Confession and repentance is perhaps the most important aspect of the Christian life. Martin Luther penned in his 95 Theses that the entire life of a believer is to be one of repentance. Both Jesus and John the Baptist preached to “Repent and believe the good news!” John (not John the Baptist) tells us “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us” (1 John 1:9-10).

Jesus paid the penalty for all of our sins when he died on the cross. That is why John says that God is just, not merciful, to forgive our sins when we confess them. It is just of God to forgive that which has already been paid. We can be honest with God about our sin without fear of rejection. It’s not like he will be surprised by what we say. These prayers can look something like:

“Father, I’m sorry that I lashed out in anger today. I’m sorry for the ways that I live like I don’t need you. I’m sorry that I’m so often inconsiderate of others. I’m sorry for the good things that I didn’t do today. I’m sorry that I so often forget to spend time with you.”

Concluding Thoughts

Theses prayers are not rigid categories. There will often be overlap. For example, “Father, thank you for blessing me with children. Help me to love, protect, and steward them well. I’m sorry for when I forget that they are a gift from you and get frustrated with them. Thank you that you are the true Father that they need. Help them to put their faith in you.”

“Thank you . . .”

“Help . . .”

“I’m Sorry . . .”

Remember THIS. Change your life.