How we can pray at any time.
For anything.
Comfort.
Peace.
Help.
Guidance.
Healing.
Understanding.
Hope.
Faith.
We talked about friends and family who could use our prayers right now.
Scott and I each shared an experience we had with prayer.
I talked about when the boys were brand new and in the NICU, and at risk that they might not both be discharged on the same day. I was really stressed, trying to figure out how I would possibly take care of both babies, each in different locations. I prayed and prayed, both vocally and in my heart and mind, that somehow they would be discharged together. Benji received a priesthood blessing and miraculously, caught up to his brother. They came home the same day. My prayers had been answered.
Scott talked about praying a lot for a lesson he had to teach recently, and in the middle of the lesson having a distinct impression to say something a little bit different because of one person that stuck out to him in the class. Afterward, that woman specifically came up to him and was emphatic about how much she had appreciated the lesson.
We talked about losing my glasses while up at the cabin last year. Dropping them off the bridge into a river 30 ft wide, moving swiftly, covered in rocks and river slime. We prayed, and, miraculously (which I still can't believe!), found them.
Sometimes prayer isn't always answered the way we think it ought to be, or we feel heaven isn't listening. But I believe God is always listening. He is always there. And I believe He always answers prayer...it just may not be in a way that we readily understand or recognize at first.
We lit a fire in the fireplace, had cookies and hot cocoa for our treat.
Late last night, the discussion on prayer reminded me of this quote that I love."Every person on the earth today lived at one time in heavenly realms. We walked with our Heavenly Father. We knew Him. We heard His voice. We loved Him. And although we were eager to enter mortality and continue our progression, we must have regretted the separation that would accompany it. We must have sorrowed that a veil would cover our eyes and the bright memories of our lives would be cloaked in the forgetfulness of mortality. How we must have yearned to stay close to our Father in Heaven. How we must have covenanted to ever reach after Him and commune with Him.
Undoubtedly our separation from our Heavenly Father was softened when He promised that as we sought after Him in prayer, He would reach toward us.
Now we are here. Our memories of our premortal life are dim and dark. We have forgotten those things we supposed we could never forget. Unfortunately and tragically we sometimes even forget our Heavenly Father, whom we loved so dearly.
Have you considered the effectiveness of your prayers, your efforts to reach toward Him from this mortal life? How close do you feel to your Heavenly Father? Do you feel that your prayers are answered? Do you feel that the time you spend in prayer enriches and uplifts your soul? Is there room for improvement?"
--Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, emphasis added (for full text go here)
I hope you have a great Tuesday.
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