God Cares About Even the Smallest Things in Our Lives
Recently, someone posted a request for prayer on Facebook for some lost keys. They desperately needed those keys and had looked all over without success, so he asked for his friends to pray about it. When he returned from church that day, his neighbor lady handed him his keys. She found them outside in the snow.
I, too, had lost something recently. I had misplaced some gift cards that were given to me as a gift. I had looked and looked in the most likely places that I would have put them. To no avail, I decided to mention it on Facebook, and I prayed about it. A few hours after I had posted my request on Facebook and prayed about it, I found them in the most unlikely place, in an envelope stuffed in with my tax papers. I would have never placed them there. Apparently, I had grabbed up all the papers along with the gifts cards and stuffed them all in the envelope. God answered my prayer on a small and unimportant thing, even while many desperate prayers were being offered up to Him.
Sometimes we think God is only interested in the big things, that we should only ask Him for the things that are critical. We think we shouldn’t bother Him with the small stuff. We think that God is only there to help us in times of urgency, but He also cares for the little things that matter to us. In John 15:7, God tells us: "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you." God gives us help in finding a lost set of keys. God even hears the prayers and requests of a little child.
My little girl, Michelle, who was 4 at the time, wanted a Cabbage Patch doll. That doll was so popular at the time, and it was expensive. All of her friends had one, but we could not afford to buy her one. I advised my daughter to pray about it, so she did.
The very next weekend, my daughter had not one but two Cabbage Patch dolls. Her friend's mom gave her one, and the next day her grandmother gave her another one. Both were completely different dolls.
Luke 18:16 reminds us of how special children are to God. “But Jesus called the children to him and said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.’” God does answer our children’s prayers, because they are special to Him.
When I witness these small prayers answered in my life, my daughter’s and others, I am reminded of God's great love for us. When we talk to God, we need to remember He wishes us much happiness. God is there to hear our urgent requests, but He also cares about the smallest things that matter to us. So, do not be shy to submit your requests to God no matter how small you might think they are.
Course Content
Janet Treadway
Janet Treadway was born in Washington, D.C., but was raised in Knoxville, Tennessee. She started attending the Church of God with her mother at the age of 14 along with her twin brother, Jim.
She was baptized at the age of 19 in 1974. She has been involved in various activities, such as serving as the managing editor of UCG’s first teen magazine UsTeens, which was distributed worldwide and published in English and Spanish.
Janet’s first love is writing. She has contributed many articles in various publications such as Vertical Thought, Virtual Christian Magazine, United News and others. Her article “Take Action, Your Life May Depend on It” is also featured in the reprint “The Cycle of Abuse.” Janet draws from her own life’s experiences and challenges when she writes and is motivated to give readers hope that God will see them through anything.
Janet has worked in the home office of the United Church of God since 1998. She is married to Charles Treadway and has four children, David, Michelle, Michael and Josh, as well as six grandchildren and two granddogs, Jo Jo and Vinny.
