‘I’ll pray for your grandma’

“What’s wrong with her?” Ava asked.“I don’t know,” Mikayla replied.

I looked at her crestfallen face and told her I was sorry. I urged her to be careful on her way there. As Ava and I waved goodbye to Mikayla, another student, Jake, raised his hand.

When I called on him, he turned to Mikayla and said, “I will pray for your grandma.”

His sincerity was obvious as he folded his hands tightly, squeezed his eyes shut and started praying for Mikayla’s grandmother right there on the spot. When he was finished, about five other students raised their hands and said, “I’ll pray for Mikayla’s grandma.”

In a matter of seconds, their soft whispering prayers filled the room. Mikayla smiled and grabbed her pink lunchbox as she headed out the door. Her expression said everything. She was thankful her friends had prayed for her grandma. I can only imagine the power of the prayers of that kindergarten class.

Sometimes it’s hard to believe not all of these children have been raised in church. It’s so amazing how the Lord used them and their sweet prayers to comfort Mikayla.

Children need prayer and love too. Jesus made that clear when he said, “Let them come to me.”  Sometimes the spiritual needs of children are overlooked because they seem so young and might not understand—or their physical needs take precedence.

But just as we train our children to eat their healthy food first out of their lunch or wash their hands after they use the bathroom, it’s important to teach them to pray for others when they are sick and show concern for their friends’ sorrows—lessons best learned by setting a good example. Nearly every day I’m surprised by how well many of them already do this.

God is doing a mighty work in the hearts of these kids in Tahoe, and I’m blessed to be a part of each of their lives.

Crystal Donahue, a student from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, is serving as a semester missionary in Tahoe City, Calif., with Go Now Missions.