I was playing on the play-ground during recess and feeling very alone. That year all of my classmates had shunned me. I looked up at the sky and asked God if He was there. I had prayed before but not in a moment of desperation and pain. I needed to know I wasn't alone. What I felt was peace in my heart, an assurance to me that God had not forgotten me. Since that day 15 years ago I have since looked up to heaven in my moments of despair and continually received assurance that God hears me.
Prayer can bring us so much joy in our life! As we pray, we grow a relationship with God and recognize our divine worth as His child. For myself I have found that by keeping a prayer in my heart always, I feel the peace of the spirit always. When there is a beautiful sunrise I thank the Lord. When I am stressed, I plead in my heart for His strength. I can honestly say that by striving to pray to God continually in my heart, Christ has become the center of my life. In doing so I have never been happier!
What if we feel that God is far away? Elder Richard G Scott mentioned that "should you ever feel distanced from our Father, it could be for many reasons. Whatever the cause, as you continue to plead for help, He will guide you to do that which will restore your confidence that He is near. Pray even when you have no desire to pray. Sometimes, like a child, you may misbehave and feel you cannot approach your Father with a problem. That is when you most need to pray. Never feel you are too unworthy to pray."
How do we improve our prayers to God? Some ways I have considered lately are preparing to pray and quieting the mind. Life can be busy and hectic. If we don't take the time to slow down our minds and emotionally prepare to communicate with God, we may not be in a good place to feel the spirit. If we say quick prayers before bed because we are tired, we miss out on an opportunity to feel close to our Savior and God. I feel that this is something I can personally work on!
The following are ideas to consider to improve our prayers to God:
-After praying to God, patiently wait on your knees for any promptings to come
-Give prayers of gratitude- where you only thank Him for your blessings and ask for nothing.
-Consider how you can be more reverent. Kneel, folding arms, head bowed, no distractions.
-Praying with a pen in hand and paper, prepared to write any impressions of the spirit.
-Pray for particular blessings you need! Particular blessings come only if you pray for them.
-Prepare for your time with the Lord through scripture study and calm music.
Challenge: Decide one way you can improve your prayers to God. Each day this week try to incorporate that!
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