Bible Q & A

Matthew 19:13-15 Then the people brought their little children to Jesus so that he could put his hands on them and pray for them. … Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me. Don’t stop them, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to people who are like these children.”   After Jesus put his hands on the children, he left there. ICB

Our Bible Q & A continues today with Josiah. He has asked a question that many adults struggle with. Thank you, Josiah, for asking this helpful question.

Josiah, age 11 “Why do I feel weird when I pray?”

Josiah, talking to God is very important. If we don’t talk to our Maker, we can’t know Him as a Friend.

Jesus showed us in the Bible how to talk to Him, and I will share what I found.

But before you can feel comfortable talking to Jesus, you need to be sure that you know Him as your Savior. He has made that easy.

The Bible tells us that God is so kind that He wants everybody to be saved and go to Heaven when they die.

You said you believe in God, but don’t understand that He lives in your heart.

Ask your mom, dad, or pastor for help understanding. This is very important. You won’t want to pray if you haven’t accepted God’s free gift of salvation.

You can know for sure. Let’s start with the Good News!

Recognize that you are a sinful person. We all are.

Romans 3:23 All people have sinned and are not good enough for God’s glory.

But salvation is a free gift. Ephesians 2:8-9

God wants all people to be saved. And he wants everyone to know the truth.  

There is only one God. And there is only one way that people can reach God.

That way is through Jesus Christ.

1 Timothy 2:4-5 ICB

And then have mom and dad click on this link. Romans 10:8-11 ICB

Now, to answer your question, “Why does it feel weird to talk to God ?”

Sometimes we feel uncomfortable because we have sinned. We have not repented by turning away from sin and confessing that sin to God.

Sometimes it’s difficult to pray when we feel sad, angry, or lonely. Jesus knows what we feel because He experienced those emotions too, but He never sinned.

Our feelings don’t prove our salvation or whether Jesus hears our prayers, as they can change. Once we are saved, our connection to Jesus is permanent.

Jesus is actually called our older brother in scripture. Check out Romans 8:29 There are other passages in the Bible that say this, too. Use your Bible to read Hebrews 2:11 and Mark 3:34-35

Sometimes a great friend to have is a brother. Jesus would be the absolute best brother, ever! He doesn’t judge, He doesn’t interrupt when we are trying to talk, He doesn’t make us feel stupid.

Jesus is a great brother. He cared enough to teach us how to pray. He started with His friends, the disciples.

They had a lot of struggles with faith, and understanding things about God. Jesus was patient to explain. Here is how he taught the disciples to pray.

Matthew 6:9-13

So, when you pray, you should pray like this:

‘Our Father in heaven,
we pray that your name will always be kept holy.
We pray that your kingdom will come.
We pray that what you want will be done,
    here on earth as it is in heaven.
 Give us the food we need for each day.
Forgive the sins we have done,
    just as we have forgiven those who did wrong to us.
And do not cause us to be tested;
but save us from the Evil One.’
The kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours forever. Amen.

When we accept Jesus as our Savior, He gives us the Holy Spirit. Look what the Spirit does for believers.

Romans 8:26-27.

“Also, the Spirit helps us. We are very weak, but the Spirit helps us with our weakness. We do not know how to pray as we should. But the Spirit himself speaks to God for us, even begs God for us. The Spirit speaks to God with deep feelings that words cannot explain.  God can see what is in people’s hearts. And he knows what is in the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit speaks to God for his people in the way that God wants.”

Did you know that Jesus prays for us in Heaven, too? Open your Bible and read Romans 8:33. How does that make you feel? Jesus is thinking of you and praying for you in Heaven!

He Loves You!

International Children’s Bible (ICB)

The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.