Quite possibly the first word that I learned in Portuguese back in February of 2013 when we visited was "obrigado" (meaning thank you). This is a pretty elementary word in all languages and when traveling, it and "hello" are usually some of the first words that people learn. In my Portuguese prayers, it is always an easy word and/or start to a phrase to go to when I find myself stuck. However, it has reminded me of the importance to thank God. Sometimes in my prayer life, it is really easy to fall into a pattern of asking for things. We even often teach our kids and teenagers this as well. Health, safety, assistance and help with our problems/needs, opportunities, and many other things. We ask for a lot in our prayers. This is not at all bad, however, we must remember to thank God as well. I often find it easy to do so in Portuguese and because of this have been reminded to do it throughout my prayer life.
When speaking in Portuguese (and maybe in English too), there are many times when I say something completely wrong, yet everyone understands it still. I will often even say something like "I know I said that really terribly, but you understood, so whatever." Now I do not say that vocally to God, however, I think he knows that is what I am thinking during some of my prayers. However, I have been reminded often times of Romans 8:26 where it says this: "We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans." How cool is that. I know that whatever I say in Portuguese, the Spirit is speaking my heart for me through "wordless groans." We don't always have to have the exact words in our prayers. The important thing is that we are in prayer. That we are presenting ourselves to God and coming into conversation (vocally and non-vocally) with Him.
When I was growing up at the Columbine Church of Christ in Littleton, Colorado, there was a man by the name of Ray Grahn. He was the guy at your church who had the long prayers. You know you all had one or have one and I will be honest, as a kid, it was hard to pay attention through the whole thing. And since I have preached some in my life, I know for a fact that our preacher growing up was probably cutting stuff out while Ray was up there. Or he would just preach long over and hear all the complaints later. Anyways, as I became a teenager, there was something I always found so neat about Ray's prayers. It was not the length so much, but the pace and relationship that he had with the Father in his prayers. His prayers were on the longer side because he wasn't rushing through it like a fast food meal. He was having a conversation and he realized the unbelievable opportunity he had and we have to be in conversation with the Lord. In praying in Portuguese, I have to slow down or I will get way too ahead of myself and make even more errors and get stuck. I have been reminded that when I pray, I am conversing with God and that I do not need to rush through it every time
It is pretty neat to be able to pray in another language. I am blessed to have this opportunity and to refresh my prayer life this way. It is amazing to think of the thousands of languages that God hears and to know that he understands everyone equally without problem and even more than that, that he understands the words not spoken in our prayers too.
Thank you for your prayers and know that you all are constantly in our prayers as well.
-Kelly and Kelci
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