I look forward to a great week! Yesterday was a great time to reflect and determine where I am and where I want to go spiritually. The world is not going to get any easier so I have to ask, "Who’s side am I choosing to be on?"
Today I’m going to study more about prayer from the talk "Pray Always " by Elder Bednar. I studied about the first section of this the other day. The second section is Prayer becomes more meaningful as we express heartfelt gratitude.
First off, I need to ask myself, "What I am grateful for and why?"
- my membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints : this membership has helped me grow and make progress. Without it, I have no idea what I’d be doing right now with my life.
- my testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel : this testimony has helped me become who I am. I’m not perfect but because of my testimony I have desires to improve, repent, and follow the teachings of the Savior. This testimony is also a crucial tool for me in these challenging times. As I live my testimony, "I have no need to fear, for the Lord my helper will always be near, In the days of trial His Saints He will cheer, and prosper the cause of truth" (Let Us All Press On).
- my wife Becky : wow, what a huge blessing in my life. Marriage is not always an easy thing – boys and girls have different needs and different expectations. But I couldn’t imagine working through life’s challenges without Becky. She is my best friend, my sweet heart, and a perfect fit for me. She’s smart, witty, beautiful, easy to talk to, friendly, and has a strong testimony that she’s always working on. She’s the best mother and teacher for our children, and she loves the Savior. I love Becky so much.
- my children , Caleb and Madi: having a family is true joy. "Adam fell that men might be, and men are that they might have joy (a family)". (2 Nephi 2:25) I really believe this – joy = family. Becky and I are so blessed to have such wonderful children. They don’t make life easier by any means, but to hear them say funny things, to see them grow both temporally and spiritually, to see them make mistakes and then ask for forgiveness, to have the chance to feel what Heavenly Father feels for us, His Children – this is true Joy and Happiness. It’s interesting, in the Topical Guide it has a cross reference for joy that is "Man, Potential to Become like Heavenly Father ".
20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and a open the door, I will b come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.21 To him that a overcometh will I grant to b sit with me in my c throne , even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. (Rev. 3:20-22)
This is Jesus speaking. As we become like Him by overcoming the natural man, we will able to sit with Him and have true joy. What a blessing it is to understand this and know why I’m here and where I’m going in this life. As I think about goals and direction for temporal things, I wonder how people have any motivation when they don’t know why they are here. -
my job that allows me to support our family : what a blessing this is too. I don’t have to work on Sunday, I work for a great company that has good values, I get to grow and make progress with my own businesses, and I can financially support our family at the same time.
- my parents: it has been such a blessing to have great, supportive parents who love me and my family. They have taught me the principles of the Gospel. They live their testimonies. They have been a huge part in helping me become who I am and I will always be grateful for them.
A prayer of thanksgiving is powerful. As Elder Bednar states:
The most meaningful and spiritual prayers I have experienced contained many expressions of thanks and few, if any, requests…The prayers of prophets are childlike in their simplicity and powerful because of their sincerity.
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 will take this challenge to pray today with nothing but expressing gratitude and thanks for all I’ve been blessed with. My prayer could go on and on, as I’ve only mentioned a few of the many things I’m grateful for. I really like that scripture, D&C 59:21, that reminds us to make sure we aknowledge God’s hand in all things – if it weren’t for Him, we couldn’t do anything. Again, this goes back to humility vs. pride. If I always think that it’s my fault that I have such a great family, or it’s my fault that I’ve "earned" such a great position at Prosper, or it’s my fault that I have a testimony, I will probably lose all these blessings.
I thank my Heavenly Father for His blessings. I recognize that I can’t win this battle of life on my own – I need His help. I’m grateful for the atonement of Jesus Christ. I realize that I only understand it a little, but I have desires to really understand it more so that I can continue to live the Plan of Happiness.
Sincerely,
Nate
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