There's No Wrong Way to Pray, by Rebecca Ninke and Kate E. H. Watson, illustrated by Liam Darcy

Pastor Rebecca Ninke and 10-year-old author Kate E. H. Watson have teamed up to convey a crucial message to children: There's No Wrong Way to Pray.  Every child--and most adults--needs to hear this message, reminding us that prayer is simply talking to God.  The little girl featured in the story talks about praying in every circumstance.  She prays for herself, her pets, and her family, but she also prays for people in need, strangers affected by tragedies she learns about in the news, and for kids at school.  She even realizes that praying for her team to win may not be the best approach, since the kids on the other team are likely praying the same thing, so she decides to pray that no one gets hurt.

The theology is thin here, as you might expect for a book aimed at very young children.  In every case, she is praying to God; the name of Jesus is never mentioned.  But the overall message of the book is clear: we serve a God who loves us, who wants a relationship with us, and who cares about the things we care about.  Further, our eyes should not only be turned toward ourselves, but also to others.  I think we all need a reminder to talk to God, "wherever I am, whatever I'm doing, whoever I'm with."



Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!