Why to Pray to Hashem About the Small Things

How many times have you stopped yourself from asking Hashem for something small, a parking spot, missing keys, a headache that will not go away, because you felt it was not "serious enough"?

We tend to think of prayer as something reserved for the big things in life: health, livelihood, finding a spouse. We often keep the little things to ourselves, with an uncomfortable feeling that we are somehow "bothering" Hashem with trivial matters that are not worthy of His attention.

This way of thinking misses the kind of relationship we are meant to have with our Father in Heaven.

To understand just how welcome and precious our everyday conversations are to Hashem, following are three reminders that can help you feel comfortable asking Him for everything.

1. Hashem Is a Father

A human king does not have time for the small details of his citizens' lives. If you called the prime minister's office to say that you had run out of milk, they would hang up on you. But Hashem is not a distant King.

A father does not want you struggling alone in your own corner. He does not want formal requests, carefully prepared memos, or cold reports about what you accomplished that day. He wants you to turn to Him when you are overwhelmed by all the little worries of life. He wants you to lift your eyes to Him in the middle of the chaos and simply tell Him everything you are going through.

When we avoid turning to Hashem about the practical details of our lives, we distance Him from us. We turn Him into someone far away instead of experiencing Him as a loving Father who is waiting for us to share every part of our lives with Him.

2. Hashem Is Always Available

A human king has ministers, advisers, and a closed office. You cannot simply walk in and tell him that you still have not found a parking spot.

With Hashem, there are no corridors to navigate, no committees deciding whether you may enter, and no office hours. His door is open 24 hours a day.

He listens even to the frustration you felt because you spilled your coffee that morning. He is always available to you, as though there is no one else in the world but you.

3. Hashem Does Not Count How Many Times You Turn to Him

Sometimes we are afraid of "bothering" Hashem or asking Him too many times throughout the day for little things. It is almost as though we imagine there is a limited amount of His attention available to us and we should not waste it on things that seem insignificant.

But with a Father who delights in His children, there is no such thing as "too much."

In fact, the opposite is true. The more often you turn to Him, even about the smallest and most ordinary things, you demonstrate that you are living your life with Him. He is waiting to hear from you again and again.

The next time you are about to ask Hashem for something small and suddenly feel uncomfortable, stop for a moment.

Remember that He is not waiting for you to come to Him only with life's biggest problems. He is waiting to hear your voice, including all the little worries and practical concerns of your day.

Open your heart and tell Him everything. Because to Hashem, nothing that matters to you is too small.