Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them,
for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
(Matthew 19:14 NIV)
Not long ago, a friend asked me—again—what I was doing to nurture my inner child.
My immediate thought was, “Uh… nothing, really.” I wasn’t quite sure what “nurturing” meant in this context. I can’t just abandon my adult responsibilities and dive back into childhood pastimes—and my friend wasn’t suggesting that. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized: if, at my current age, I still carry the parts of me that were 2, 7, 13, 18, 25, and so on, then nurturing my inner child is really about caring for an essential part of myself.
One of the things I absolutely loved as a child was reading. I read voraciously—mostly fiction, but also every biography in my elementary school library before I finished sixth grade. Although I’ve read countless books aloud to my children over the years, I haven’t prioritized reading for my own enjoyment in a long time. Still, a good story always captivates me.
Recently, I decided to make a change. I began with a book I had never read before: Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. Then I returned to my all-time favorite author, Madeleine L’Engle, and reread her rich and complex novel Certain Women, which parallels the lives of a fictional family with the biblical family of King David. I highly recommend both books.
While A Wrinkle in Time is probably L’Engle’s most well-known work, I wanted to read the rest of her “Time Quintet.” I’ve finished The Wind in the Door and A Swiftly Tilting Planet, and I’m currently reading Many Waters. These stories blend fantasy and science fiction with the narrative of one remarkable family. L’Engle weaves in her knowledge of biology, physics, and chemistry—and roots each story in Biblical truths.
Now, you might be wondering why I’m sharing all this about my recent reading—and what it has to do with prayer.
I’m working on a couple of posts that connect to the books I’ve been reading, but today I just want to reflect on the verse above. Jesus invites children to come to him. He is kind, gentle, loving, and gracious—like a parent who gathers a child into their arms, offering protection, comfort, and affection. That invitation is still open to us, no matter our age.
As Scripture reminds us, “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.” (Galatians 3:26 NIV)
We come to Jesus not with all the answers, but with childlike trust—to receive shelter, wisdom, love, and so much more. The God of the Universe, who delights in us, invites us to be with him in our vulnerability, our simplicity, our wonder.
That, I’ve come to realize, is one beautiful way to nurture the inner child: by remembering that we are, first and always, children of God.
El Shaddai,
Thank you, God, for all the beautiful stories you’ve inspired—especially those that reveal who you are, who we are, and how deeply you love us. Today, we ask that you help us remember that we are your beloved, redeemed, and cherished children. Abba, when we are empty in ways only you can restore, remind us to turn to you. Help us to climb into your loving embrace, to rest in your security and gentleness, and to be refined and refilled by your presence. No matter how old we are, remind us that we are—and will always be—yours. Nurture us, we pray in Jesus’s name, AMEN.