If you happen to be Facebook friends with my daughter-in-law, you may have seen a recent post where she quoted our three-year-old granddaughter's prayer before our dinner last week.
"Thank you, Jesus, for our food. Yee-haw!"
None of us know why she made a substitution for the more traditional "Amen" that night, but we all found it hilarious.
I checked out the actual meaning of the phrase, "Yee-haw!" I found that it's considered an expression of enthusiasm and exuberance that's associated with cowboys or inhabitants of the rural South. It may not be a customary ending to a blessing on the food, but it some ways, it makes perfect sense. If you've been waiting for a while to be called to the dinner table, you are probably quite excited about finally coming to the point of having the food at hand.
What if we acted with such enthusiasm for the rest of our prayer life? What if we were sure of the outcome of our prayers? What if we were so thrilled at what God was about to do that we eagerly ended the prayer with a jubilant "Yee-haw!?" It has the flavor of a battle cry from the army that knows it's about to be victorious, doesn't it? Since we are the army of God with a general who can never be defeated, we should be as fired up about the ways and plans of God as a cowboy is about his rodeo triumph.
I don't actually advocate the use of that phrase to end our prayers. Still, I whole-heartedly encourage you to pray big prayers for incredible advances in the Kingdom of God and to be exhilarated to walk out your destiny alongside your brothers and sisters in Christ with strong confidence and passion.
Romans 12:11 (NIV) "Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord."
