"O then despise not, and wonder not, but hearken unto the words of the Lord, and ask the Father in the name of Jesus for what things soever ye shall stand in need. Doubt not, but be believing, and begin as in times of old, and come unto the Lord with all your heart, and work out your own salvation with fear and trembling before him.
"Be wise in the days of your probation; strip yourselves of all uncleanness; ask not, that ye may consume it on your lusts, but ask with a firmness unshaken, that ye will yield to no temptation, but that ye will serve the true and living God." (Mormon 9:27-28)
I love Moroni's counsel to us in this chapter. When I read this chapter recently, it is almost like a checklist of things that I should be doing. Remember to ask our Father in faith for the things I need. Do ALL things that are asked of me. Be willing to submit to the Father's will instead of being prideful. Pray with faith for help to avoid temptation. I can testify that as we seek to involve our Father in Heaven in our lives each day and turn our hearts to Him and His will, He will help us overcome the challenges we face so that we can return to Him again.
Showing posts with label prayer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label prayer. Show all posts
Monday, August 31, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Answers to Prayers (7/28/2009)
"To those within the sound of my voice who are struggling with challenges and difficulties large and small, prayer is the provider of spiritual strength; it is the passport to peace. Prayer is the means by which we approach our Father in Heaven, who loves us. Speak to Him in prayer and then listen for the answer." - President Thomas S. Monson
This quote from President Monson contains great advice to us to seek out our Father's assistance in prayer. The one piece that I too frequently forget to do is listen for the answer. Sometimes it is because I get in too much of a hurry, sometimes because His answer may not be the one that I want to hear. Regardless, my experiences have taught me that our Father does hear and answer our prayers, and as we take the time to listen and accept that He will always act in our best - not necessarily our immediate - interests, then we will have meaningful communication with Him.
This quote from President Monson contains great advice to us to seek out our Father's assistance in prayer. The one piece that I too frequently forget to do is listen for the answer. Sometimes it is because I get in too much of a hurry, sometimes because His answer may not be the one that I want to hear. Regardless, my experiences have taught me that our Father does hear and answer our prayers, and as we take the time to listen and accept that He will always act in our best - not necessarily our immediate - interests, then we will have meaningful communication with Him.
Monday, June 15, 2009
The Source of our Blessings (6/15/2009)
"Therefore may God grant unto you, my brethren, that ye may begin to exercise your faith unto repentance, that ye begin to call upon his holy name, that he would have mercy upon you; Yea, cry unto him for mercy; for he is mighty to save. Yea, humble yourselves, and continue in prayer unto him.
"Cry unto him when ye are in your fields, yea, over all your flocks. Cry unto him in your houses, yea, over all your household, both morning, mid-day, and evening. Yea, cry unto him against the power of your enemies. Yea, cry unto him against the devil, who is an enemy to all righteousness.
"Cry unto him over the crops of your fields, that ye may prosper in them. Cry over the flocks of your fields, that they may increase. But this is not all; ye must pour out your souls in your closets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness. Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you." (Alma 34:17-27)
Last night, my three year old started to ask me where things came from. Who gave us our house? Who gave us the food we were eating? Who gave us the cars? You get the idea. Each time, we answered that our Father in Heaven blesses us with those things.
She could not reconcile that with the fact that we bought the house from Mrs. Gentry, or that she was with us on Friday night when we purchased the groceries, so we explained to her that Heavenly Father blesses daddy with talents so that he can have a job that helps us pay for everything we have. I am not sure how much of that she understood, but it caused me to reflect how dependent we are on our Father in Heaven.
As Amulek stated, our Father will bless us in a wide range of things - our work, our gardens, with protection against those who would do us harm - as long as we seek His help. I hope that we can always remember that He is the source of all of our blessings, and may we be humble enough to acknowledge His hand in all things, and have faith sufficient to call upon Him for those things we and our neighbors need.
"Cry unto him when ye are in your fields, yea, over all your flocks. Cry unto him in your houses, yea, over all your household, both morning, mid-day, and evening. Yea, cry unto him against the power of your enemies. Yea, cry unto him against the devil, who is an enemy to all righteousness.
"Cry unto him over the crops of your fields, that ye may prosper in them. Cry over the flocks of your fields, that they may increase. But this is not all; ye must pour out your souls in your closets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness. Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you." (Alma 34:17-27)
Last night, my three year old started to ask me where things came from. Who gave us our house? Who gave us the food we were eating? Who gave us the cars? You get the idea. Each time, we answered that our Father in Heaven blesses us with those things.
She could not reconcile that with the fact that we bought the house from Mrs. Gentry, or that she was with us on Friday night when we purchased the groceries, so we explained to her that Heavenly Father blesses daddy with talents so that he can have a job that helps us pay for everything we have. I am not sure how much of that she understood, but it caused me to reflect how dependent we are on our Father in Heaven.
As Amulek stated, our Father will bless us in a wide range of things - our work, our gardens, with protection against those who would do us harm - as long as we seek His help. I hope that we can always remember that He is the source of all of our blessings, and may we be humble enough to acknowledge His hand in all things, and have faith sufficient to call upon Him for those things we and our neighbors need.
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