I love to hear Nicholas pray at night. He has alway had a special relationship with God. Usually when I hear him pray, I find out all of the things that he is worried about or that happened in his day because he feels free to share those with God. He truly forgets I am even in the room beside him. 

A few weeks ago, he started his prayer by saying, "God, please help me not to be hazardous tomorrow."  That made my eyes pop open and smile came to my face.  I would certainly have to explore that thought with him later. Next, he said, "God, please help me at school.  I need to make better choices because I need to "higher" my grades so I can play basketball. I wish you could just go "poof" and make my grades higher, but that is my job and not Yours, so please help me." It was a prayer that many adults may have wanted to pray about all sorts of situations in their lives. However, the amazing thing to me was that NIck totally understood that God is not a genie granting wishes. He knows that God answers prayers, but that God also expects us to do the things we are supposed to do.

I marvel at his understanding of God. He knows God is always with him and ready to help him. He talks to God straight from his heart, as though God were sitting on the edge of the bed with him, holding his hand. Maybe He is. Nicholas gets his prayers answered more often than anyone I know. After that prayer, Nick made a 100% on a social studies test and 100% on his spelling test.  He had studied hard and God helped him clear his jumbled mind and sort out the facts in his head while taking the tests. God is good. He made Nick special and they have a special relationship.