Children and Prayer - Why Ask?

Why ask if the Almighty Himself knows what I need?

Be prepared for your child, sooner or later, to ask a question each of us has asked ourselves or a rabbi: why does the Almighty not answer every prayer?

Our Sages have written a great deal about this, and there are several answers that are especially common and, most importantly, understandable to a child.

First, no prayer is wasted or goes unanswered; our limited understanding simply prevents us from seeing the result. The Chafetz Chaim says on this subject that among the sick of the people of Israel, there are those who recover as a result of our prayers, and those for whom it has been decreed from Above that they will die, because the prayers for their recovery are not accepted.

But! These very prayers count as a merit for the person for whom they were offered when that person comes before the Heavenly Court. We ourselves see the effect of prayer when we suddenly feel a surge of strength and discover new abilities within ourselves – after reciting just a few chapters of Tehillim or a short Mincha prayer!

Another point: we do not always know what is good for us, while the Almighty cares for us constantly.

You didn't buy a bicycle – and thank G-d for that! Who knows, perhaps the child would have had an accident on that bicycle, G-d forbid? Remember how many stories you have heard and read about utterly improbable circumstances preventing someone from boarding a plane that crashed a few hours later?

I doubt that, when they realized they would not make the flight, they recognized the workings of hashgachah pratit, the Almighty's providence over each individual. And the same goes for when they learned what a terrible death they had escaped because of that frustrating delay…

to be continued

Prepared by A. Shvalb