Job

I am reading about Job this week. As we all know- he was amazingly faithful through unheard of trials. There was a time when he felt like God had forgotten him. Have you ever felt that way? Can look back and know that in the past- God has heard your prayers- but wonder why you don't feel that now... I find it comforting to know that Job, a man who's name is synonymous with great faith, also felt that way -

as Job said:

Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard

Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat!

Prayer

Prayer

An inspiring story about prayers answered.

Counsel With the Lord

"Prayer becomes more meaningful as we counsel with the Lord in all our
doings."


"We are promised that if we pray sincerely for that which is right and good
and in accordance with God’s will, we can be blessed, protected, and directed
(see 3 Nephi 18:20; D&C
19:38)."

Elder Bednar, Pray Always

What could we need more, in these uncertain times, then to be "blessed, protected, and directed."

3 Nephi 18:20 And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you.

D&C 19:38 Pray always, and I will pour out my Spirit upon you, and great shall be your blessing—yea, even more than if you should obtain treasures of earth and corruptibleness to the extent thereof.

Alma 37:36 Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.

(the butterfly at the top of the post is called the Mormon Butterfly. I wonder how it got that name?)

The Affections of My Heart

This is the new scripture that I am thinking about lately:

Alma 37: 36 Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.

I am intriguedby the line, :let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.

Gene R. Cook used this scripture in a talk he gave on charity:

May the Lord bless us to always have “the affections of [our] heart … placed upon [Him] forever.” “That [our] burdens may be light, through the joy of his Son”

Marcus B. Nash, in his address, Cultivating Righteousness, said this:

We experience His love as we yield our hearts to Him (see Helaman 3:35), place the affection of our hearts on Him forever (see Alma 37:36), and love Him with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength (see Moroni 10:32).

I have never thought about the phrase "affections of thy heart" before. I think I was always more interested in verses 35 and 37, breezing over 36. But it has really made me think, are the "affections of my heart" on my Savior? I find that it can be so easy to consume my thoughts with my life, and all I have and want to "do."- I need to spend more time with the affections of my heart on my Savior. Easter is coming, and I am going to read the four gospels, to remind myself of all the Savior has done for me, focusing on my love for the Savior growing.

Prophet's Prayers

The prayers of prophets are childlike in their simplicity and powerful
because of their sincerity.

Elder Bednar

Prayer is the Soul's Sincere Desire

I am studying Elder Bednar's talk, Pray Always. Although I have read and listened to it a few times already- some sections hit me this morning that I hadn't REALLY noticed before- about praying for others- below are the quotes for the talk that I really liked.

Praying for others with all of the energy of our souls increases our
capacity to hear and to heed the voice of the Lord.

Speaking of Lehi:

The vision came in response to a prayer for others and
not as a result of a
request for personal edification or guidance.

Do our spouses, children, and other family members likewise feel the power
of our prayers offered unto the Father for their specific needs and desires? Do
those we serve hear us pray for them with faith and sincerity? If those we love
and serve have not heard and felt the influence of our earnest prayers in their
behalf, then the time to repent is now. As we emulate the example of the Savior,
our prayers truly will become more meaningful.

I feel like I learned something new this morning. I am going to have a renewed focus on praying for others.

Thanksgiving Thursdays

I have been reading this talk the last few days:

Pray Always
Elder David A. Bednar Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

In it, he challenges us to pray with greater thanksgiving:

As we strive to make our prayers more meaningful, we should remember that “in
nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those
who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments” (D&C 59:21). Let me recommend that periodically you and I
offer a prayer in which we only give thanks and express gratitude. Ask for
nothing; simply let our souls rejoice and strive to communicate appreciation
with all the energy of our hearts.

I am going to start having "Thanksgiving Thursdays"- where- on Thursdays, I don't ask for anything, I just give thanks.

Well- you say, what if you REALLY need to ask for something? Sure- that could happen- but it would have to be big- check out his example:

During our service at Brigham Young University–Idaho, Sister Bednar and I
frequently hosted General Authorities in our home. Our family learned an
important lesson about meaningful prayer as we knelt to pray one evening with a
member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Earlier in the day Sister Bednar
and I had been informed about the unexpected death of a dear friend, and our
immediate desire was to pray for the surviving spouse and children. As I invited
my wife to offer the prayer, the member of the Twelve, unaware of the tragedy,
graciously suggested that in the prayer Sister Bednar express only appreciation
for blessings received and ask for nothing. His counsel was similar to Alma’s
instruction to the members of the ancient Church “to pray without ceasing, and
to give thanks in all things” (Mosiah
26:39). Given the unexpected tragedy, requesting blessings for our friends
initially seemed to us more urgent than expressing thanks.
Sister Bednar
responded in faith to the direction she received. She thanked Heavenly Father
for meaningful and memorable experiences with this dear friend. She communicated
sincere gratitude for the Holy Ghost as the Comforter and for the gifts of the
Spirit that enable us to face adversity and to serve others. Most importantly,
she expressed appreciation for the plan of salvation, for the atoning sacrifice
of Jesus Christ, for His Resurrection, and for the ordinances and covenants of
the restored gospel which make it possible for families to be together
forever.
Our family learned from that experience a great lesson about the
power of thankfulness in meaningful prayer. Because of and through that prayer,
our family was blessed with inspiration about a number of issues that were
pressing upon our minds and stirring in our hearts. We learned that our
gratefulness for the plan of happiness and for the Savior’s mission of salvation
provided needed reassurance and strengthened our confidence that all would be
well with our dear friends. We also received insights concerning the things
about which we should pray and appropriately ask in faith.

So- is anyone with me?

Helaman 5:12 The Depth of my Foundation

I want to go back to Helaman 5:12-

Today- I want to study the words rock and foundation.

12 And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

D&C 6: 34.
34 Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail.

President Monson, in October 2006 general conference, gave a talk entitled, "How Firm a Foundation." He starts his talk with a great analogy:

In 1959, not long after I began my service as president of the Canadian Mission, headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, I met N. Eldon Tanner, a prominent Canadian who just months later would be called as an Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, then to the Quorum of the Twelve, and then as a counselor to four Presidents of the Church.
At the time I met him, President Tanner was president of the vast Trans-Canada Pipelines, Ltd., and president of the Canada Calgary Stake. He was known as “Mr. Integrity” in Canada. During that first meeting, we discussed, among other subjects, the cold Canadian winters, where storms rage, temperatures can linger well below freezing for weeks at a time, and where icy winds lower those temperatures even further. I asked President Tanner why the roads and highways in western Canada basically remained intact during such winters, showing little or no signs of cracking or breaking, while the road surfaces in many areas where winters are less cold and less severe developed cracks and breaks and potholes.
Said he, “The answer is in the depth of the base of the paving materials. In order for them to remain strong and unbroken, it is necessary to go very deep with the foundation layers. When the foundations are not deep enough, the surfaces cannot withstand the extremes of weather.”Over the years I have thought often of this conversation and of President Tanner’s explanation, for I recognize in his words a profound application for our lives. Stated simply, if we do not have a deep foundation of faith and a solid testimony of truth, we may have difficulty withstanding the harsh storms and icy winds of adversity which inevitably come to each of us.

I think everyone who considers him or herself a Christian, has a foundation in Christ, but the question is the depth of that foundation. The bigger the adversity, the greater depth that will be needed.

So, how then, how is our foundation in Christ built? Let's go back to President Monson's talk for the answers:

"How can we build a foundation strong enough to withstand such vicissitudes of life? How can we maintain the faith and testimony which will be required, that we might experience the joy promised to the faithful? Constant, steady effort is necessary. "

I think that is sometimes the biggest challenge, making our effort constant and steady rather than sporadic and occasional. President Monson then gives us three steps for our everyday lives that will strengthen and fortify our foundations:

"First, fortify your foundation through prayer." He tells us to have prayers with meaning and sincerity, accompanied with listening, he says, as we do, "we will be strengthened and blessed. We will come to know Him and His desires for our lives. "

I like that-that through prayer we will come to know Him, and His desires for our lives. I have been seeking that lately, wanting to know God's will for my life, and trying to align myself with his will. It is so natural to seek my own will, and a bit of a spiritual struggle to discern the difference.

I will have to continue another day- I have kids to feed :)

Here is a link to Did You think to Pray, by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. When I was young, I used to hear this song and think that "Ere" was a person who kept forgetting to say his prayers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_M0daLpvZL0

Helaman 10 Prayer

I studied in Helaman today. There is a lot that I can learn from Nephi's example. Today I learned about prayer.

Helaman 10-

3—and it came to pass as he was thus pondering in his heart, behold, a voice came unto him saying:

4 Blessed art thou, Nephi, for those things which thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou hast with unwearyingness declared the word, which I have given unto thee, unto this people. And thou hast not feared them, and hast not sought thine own life, but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments.

5 And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works; yea, even that all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will.

If I want my pryers to be answered, I need to ask for that which is consistant to, not contrarty to the Lord's will.

3 Ne. 18: 20.
20 And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you.

D&C 88: 64 (63-65).
64 Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name it shall be given unto you, that is expedient for you;

Enos 1: 12.
12 And it came to pass that after I had prayed and labored with all diligence, the Lord said unto me: I will grant unto thee according to thy desires, because of thy faith.

James 4: 3 (1-3).
3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

2 Ne. 4: 35.
35 Yea, I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if I ask not amiss; therefore I will lift up my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness.

D&C 46: 30.
30 He that asketh in the Spirit asketh according to the will of God; wherefore it is done even as he asketh.

In summery, I need to ask for:

• that which is right





• I need to believe that I will receive





• that which is expedient





• I need to have faith





• I need to ask for the right thing





• ask in the spirit





• ask according to the word of God