The Innocence of a Child’s Prayer

There is a purity in a child’s prayer that can soften even the heaviest of hearts. It isn’t weighed down by doubt, overcomplicated by adult reasoning, or hindered by pride. It is simple, honest, and full of trust.

Last night, as my mom lay in a hospital bed—her body fighting the cruel complications of cancer, possibly even a transient ischemic attack—my son, Gannon, wanted to pray for her. I watched as he folded his hands, made the sign of the cross, and began to speak:

“Dear God, we ask you to help Grandma and make her well. Anything you can do is appreciated. We ask this in Jesus’s name, Amen.”

That was it. No long-winded pleas, no desperation masked in complex words—just a child’s heart speaking plainly to God. And it was enough.

As I listened, I felt something stir deep within me. Humility. Hope. A reminder of faith unshaken by life’s hardships. Gannon wasn’t worried about saying the right thing or making sense of all the fear and uncertainty. He just asked, believing that God would hear.

Tears welled in my eyes as he ended with the sign of the cross, sealing his words with sincerity. In that moment, I was reminded just how special children are. They show us what it means to trust without hesitation, to love without limits, and to pray without doubt.

I don’t know what the coming days will bring, but I do know this—God hears the prayers of children. And maybe, just maybe, that’s all the faith we need.