Prayer

 Posted by: Paulette

Have you noticed that when you  think that you are doing everything right, more things seem to go wrong? I've been focusing more on my personal and my family's spiritual heath. I am studying my scriptures, almost every day, and we are having family home evening more consistently.  And things are really getting hard! The trials are piling up. Do you know what this is causing me to do? Hit my knees more often and for longer periods of time. For some reason, I'd aways thought that a busy mom really didn't have time for lengthy personal prayers. A prayer always in my heart is kinda the way I did it. I'd pay my evening devotionals with the family as a duty, and most of the time it was the same with my husband when we said our couple's prayer. A few things have changed my attitude lately. One of them is feeling that I need the Lord's help to be a better, more compassionate, involved mom. I want to be able to help the kids with their homework without feeling like it's an imposition, and make dinner for my family without feeling like it's a duty I have to perform each night. I want the services that I give to my family to be given in the spirit of love. In the Book of Mormon, in 2nd Nephi chapter 32, verse 8-9, it says:
"8...For if ye would hearken unto the Spirit which teacheth a man to pray; for the evil spirit teacheth  not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray.
9 But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always , and not faint; that ye must perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the Name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul."
 It seems like people in church have been talking a lot about prayer lately. I watched a program on BYU TV today, and the talks that were given were about prayer. Do you think that someone is trying to tell me something? 

 In my facebook status I was talking about what's been happening this week, and my Mom said she was worried, that so many things were going badly for me. But, you know what? While I'm in the moment, I feel bad, but for the most part I feel good. I get on with life and just do the best I can, and thank my Heavnly Father for the good life I have. Mom said she was going to start praying for me in the morning. I sure do appreciate that. I believe in the power of prayer.
 Recently, I received a phone call from my brother in law who was watching the news about what was happening in Japan. I have a brother who lives in Okinawa, and my BIL was worried about him. I told him that we would pray for my brother, and that was all we could do at the moment. Prayer has some awesome power! It can heal the sick, bring comfort and aid to those who need it, and change hearts. And to think that God has given this power to all of his children is truly humbling to me. The fact that it has taken me so long to tap into this power is even more humbling. I'm hoping that this is one of those lessons that will stick.