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One night when my oldest son was three years old I was tucking him into bed when he asked, “Daddy, will God give me a good dream?” I answered quickly without really thinking about how a little boy might decipher what I said when I replied, “I don’t know son, why don’t you ask him?”

I walked out of the room a few steps but just had to know what he was going to say in his prayer. I crept softly back toward the door and overheard his prayer begin, “God, will you give me a good dream? Will you give me good pictures?” He was lying on his bed staring straight up at the ceiling and since he hadn’t heard any response yet he raised his voice and continued, “God, will you give me a good dream? God! I can’t hear you! Will you give me a good dream? I can’t hear you, God!” 

He was practically shouting when I finally walked back into the room and assured him that God can always hear us. He asked me to pray that God would give him a good dream. It was a special moment for me. We prayed to God and made our request together. He slept soundly all night. Just as there was a smile on my little boy’s face as he drifted off to sleep, I believe there were smiles all around in heaven that night.

My little boy’s insistent cry for an answer from God reminded me of what the Lord said in Luke 18:7-8: “And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (NIV). Our Father does hear us. He is looking for faith in the hearts of His children. He is listening to hear our persistent prayers. Since our Father is sovereign and powerful to act “men always ought to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1). 

We can cry out for justice to a just God. We can pour out requests, assured that we are always welcome to come before our Father’s throne. So let us pray—and let us also plant and nourish that precious seed of faith in our children’s hearts that will someday blossom into the mature belief that they have a Father in heaven who is always listening to their cries.