WHAT?! A supplemental? I thought we were done with prayer! Well, before ya'll gather an angry mob, basically, supplemental is a cool word that I used to basically mean, "Hey, I forgot something that I wanted to include with my earlier posts and want to now, but without making it seem like a part 3". Savvy? Good.
Mostly, I wanted to put in the basics of how we pray. I mean, I talked about what it is, why it is so important, and examples of prayers being answered. But, if we don't know the basics of how to apply it, what's the point? Well, that's why we have this supplemental. I forgot the HOW. So here it is.
First, we address God, our Heavenly Father, since that is who we are speaking to.
Second, we offer up what's in our hearts. We thank Him for the many things that He has given us (Our families, our homes, the Gospel, etc...). We also ask Him for things that we stand in need of, whatever that may be - temporal, spiritually, emotional, so on and so forth. It is also a time where we can ask God to know if something is right or true, and what He would have us do.
Lastly, when we have said all that we want to say, we close in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Pretty simple, right? But it works, and as I said yesterday, God truly does listen to and answers our prayers. Some may ask, "How does God answer my prayers?" Well, that is an excellent question!!! I am so glad you asked! My next post will be covering just that very question. But yeah, prayer is so important and God truly does want to hear from us, because He loves and cares about each and every one of us. I promise you that, because I have seen it many times in my own life.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
Back to the Basics: Prayer (Part2)
A sequel? Cool beans!! Yeah, you already know, but still, you could at least ACT surprised. Well, as I said yesterday, today will be more of actual experiences with prayer, instead of just defining it. Shall we begin? Alright, we shall!
Well to start off today's blog, I would like to...wait, does anyone want to guess? You said share a scripture? Who said that? Well, whoever did, you are correct! Wow, so smart! The scripture is found in 2 Nephi 26:15. It says starting about halfway down,"yet the words of the righteous shall be written, AND THE PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL SHALL BE HEARD". What an amazing promise! That is so cool. That is God promising to us that our prayers will always be heard. God always answers our prayers. I would like to give a couple examples today showing that. The first is Daniel.
Daniel was a righteous man and prayed to God daily. The king sent out a proclamation saying that they could not pray to anyone except the king. Still, Daniel prayed. Because of that, the king threw Daniel into a den of ferocious and, I imagine, very hungry lions. The cool part is is that because Daniel was faithful, and always prayed, he was spared.
Alright, second story. This one is of Joseph Smith. Joseph was a young boy of about 14 years of age. He wanted to know what God wanted him to do. One day, he read James 1:5 that states,"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him." Joseph knew he lacked wisdom as for what God would have him do. So, he knelt down in a grove of trees near his house and prayed. That day, Heavenly Father, and Jesus Christ appeared unto him and spoke to him face to face, tellling him the things that he should do. *It's important to note: Joseph Smith asked a specific question and he got a specific answer.
Alright, last story is of my own experiences in life. As I sat thinking about what prayer, of all the many prayers that I have offered up throughout my life, should I share and the result thereof, I finally decided on one I offered when I was about 15 or 16 years old. I had heard many times that God loved me and knew from all my many blessings that he did. But that day, I decided to ask God if I might truly feel of His love. I truly received an answer that day. It was the one of the warmest and most peaceful feelings I have ever had in my life.
I testify that God does love each and every one of us. Just as Daniel, Joseph Smith, and billions of people since the world began have prayed and received answers to their prayers, I add my witness, that God lives, and that He hears and answers our prayers.
Well to start off today's blog, I would like to...wait, does anyone want to guess? You said share a scripture? Who said that? Well, whoever did, you are correct! Wow, so smart! The scripture is found in 2 Nephi 26:15. It says starting about halfway down,"yet the words of the righteous shall be written, AND THE PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL SHALL BE HEARD". What an amazing promise! That is so cool. That is God promising to us that our prayers will always be heard. God always answers our prayers. I would like to give a couple examples today showing that. The first is Daniel.
Daniel was a righteous man and prayed to God daily. The king sent out a proclamation saying that they could not pray to anyone except the king. Still, Daniel prayed. Because of that, the king threw Daniel into a den of ferocious and, I imagine, very hungry lions. The cool part is is that because Daniel was faithful, and always prayed, he was spared.
Alright, second story. This one is of Joseph Smith. Joseph was a young boy of about 14 years of age. He wanted to know what God wanted him to do. One day, he read James 1:5 that states,"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him." Joseph knew he lacked wisdom as for what God would have him do. So, he knelt down in a grove of trees near his house and prayed. That day, Heavenly Father, and Jesus Christ appeared unto him and spoke to him face to face, tellling him the things that he should do. *It's important to note: Joseph Smith asked a specific question and he got a specific answer.
Alright, last story is of my own experiences in life. As I sat thinking about what prayer, of all the many prayers that I have offered up throughout my life, should I share and the result thereof, I finally decided on one I offered when I was about 15 or 16 years old. I had heard many times that God loved me and knew from all my many blessings that he did. But that day, I decided to ask God if I might truly feel of His love. I truly received an answer that day. It was the one of the warmest and most peaceful feelings I have ever had in my life.
I testify that God does love each and every one of us. Just as Daniel, Joseph Smith, and billions of people since the world began have prayed and received answers to their prayers, I add my witness, that God lives, and that He hears and answers our prayers.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Back to the Basics: Prayer (Part1)
Hello again! Before I get started, two quick things. First of all, I would like to thank all of you for checking out and following my blog. Good stuff, huh? And secondly, I would like to encourage ya'll to invite your friends and family to check this out and we will go places. Doesn't that sound like fun? I most certainly agree!
Alright, so after much contemplation, I have decided on prayer as our next topic of study. You might've noticed, but the title says part 1. Whoa! That probably means there is a part two. If you thought that, you were correct! So, today we will discuss prayer and what it is, and then tomorrow, I will be sharing some experience from the scriptures and personally, of prayers being answered.
So, I really wanted to focus on three questions: What is prayer, why do we pray, and what is in it for me?
What Is Prayer?
Well, probably the best place I found that defines prayer is in the Bible Dictionary. It defines prayer as, "the act by which the will of the Father and will of the child (us) are brought into correspondence with each other. The object of prayer is not to change the will of God, but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant, but that are made conditional on our asking for them." Wow, that is so perfect! Well, what more can I say? Prayer is the act by which we communicate with our Father in Heaven and align our will with His. Savyy? Good.
Next, Why Do We Pray?
Definitely, once again, the scripture say it so much better than I do, so next we will go to
3 Nephi 18:15, where Jesus Christ himself is speaking. He says, "Verily, verily I say unto you, ye must watch and pary always, lest ye be tempted by the devil, and ye be led away captive by him. And also, Alma, one of the prophets of the Book of Mormon, says in Alma 5:46, "Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God. Behold, I have fasted and PRAYED many days that I might KNOW these things of myself.
So, here are two really good reasons for us to pray. First, that we may come off conqueror and be able to overcome temptation. And second, that we may know for ourselves the truthfulness of the Gospel.
There are many other reasons for praying though, too. We can pray to give thanks unto God for the many things that He has given us. We can also pray for those things we stand in need of And. we can always pray to receive answers to questions we might have.
And finally, What's In It For Me?
Well, once again, there is a really sweet scripture that gives a really cool promise. It is in 3 Nephi 18:20 and again, it is Christ speaking. It says, "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."
WOW, what an awesome promise! Did you catch that? He promises us that whatever we ask God for, as long as it is His will, He will bless us with it and that all we have to do is ask.
I, too, add my promise to that. That whatsoever we ask God for, that when we pray, we can be blessed with it, according to God's will. I have seen my prayers answered time and time again. Sometimes it's not in the way we think or in the time that we expect, but I promise that He will ALWAYS answer our prayers. Just as Christ, I promise that if we pray without ceasing, our footsteps will be guided.
Alright, so after much contemplation, I have decided on prayer as our next topic of study. You might've noticed, but the title says part 1. Whoa! That probably means there is a part two. If you thought that, you were correct! So, today we will discuss prayer and what it is, and then tomorrow, I will be sharing some experience from the scriptures and personally, of prayers being answered.
So, I really wanted to focus on three questions: What is prayer, why do we pray, and what is in it for me?
What Is Prayer?
Well, probably the best place I found that defines prayer is in the Bible Dictionary. It defines prayer as, "the act by which the will of the Father and will of the child (us) are brought into correspondence with each other. The object of prayer is not to change the will of God, but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant, but that are made conditional on our asking for them." Wow, that is so perfect! Well, what more can I say? Prayer is the act by which we communicate with our Father in Heaven and align our will with His. Savyy? Good.
Next, Why Do We Pray?
Definitely, once again, the scripture say it so much better than I do, so next we will go to
3 Nephi 18:15, where Jesus Christ himself is speaking. He says, "Verily, verily I say unto you, ye must watch and pary always, lest ye be tempted by the devil, and ye be led away captive by him. And also, Alma, one of the prophets of the Book of Mormon, says in Alma 5:46, "Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God. Behold, I have fasted and PRAYED many days that I might KNOW these things of myself.
So, here are two really good reasons for us to pray. First, that we may come off conqueror and be able to overcome temptation. And second, that we may know for ourselves the truthfulness of the Gospel.
There are many other reasons for praying though, too. We can pray to give thanks unto God for the many things that He has given us. We can also pray for those things we stand in need of And. we can always pray to receive answers to questions we might have.
And finally, What's In It For Me?
Well, once again, there is a really sweet scripture that gives a really cool promise. It is in 3 Nephi 18:20 and again, it is Christ speaking. It says, "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."
WOW, what an awesome promise! Did you catch that? He promises us that whatever we ask God for, as long as it is His will, He will bless us with it and that all we have to do is ask.
I, too, add my promise to that. That whatsoever we ask God for, that when we pray, we can be blessed with it, according to God's will. I have seen my prayers answered time and time again. Sometimes it's not in the way we think or in the time that we expect, but I promise that He will ALWAYS answer our prayers. Just as Christ, I promise that if we pray without ceasing, our footsteps will be guided.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Back to the Basics: Faith (part2)
Today, we will be covering part 2 of faith. Yesterday we discussed what faith is and we talked about the amazing example of Nephi in showing forth that faith. Today, I wanted to share a little about how we can nurture our faith and help it to grow. And don't worry, I promise to have a new topic tomorrow.
So, today, I am going to once again be using the Book of Mormon as my reference source. This time in the book of Alma, chapter 32. Alma was a really sweet prophet, and gave an amazing discertation on faith. I would like to share verse 37, although I encourage you to read the whole chapter.
Alma 37 says, "And behold, as the tree beginneth to grow, ye will say: Let us nourish it with great care, that it may get root, that it may grow up, and bring forth fruit unto us. And now behold, if ye will nourish it with much care it will get root, and grow up, and bring forth fruit". Now, in this analogy, let's compare the tree to faith. If we nourish our faith, with great care, it will bring forth fruit unto us. What are some ways we can nourish the fruit? Because we have such a loving God, He has provided many ways for us to nourish our faith. These include studying the scriptures, praying often, going to church, helping others, and so on and so forth. As our faith grows, we reap the rewards, which include peace, comfort, trust in the Lord, a firm testimony, temporal blessings, and of course, more faith.
Lastly, just as a tree needs constant nourishment from the sun, water, and the soil, our faith also needs constant nourishment from prayer, scriptures, church, and in serving others. But, it is important for us to remember that, along with times of nurturing and growth, there will also be times of stormy weather, where our faith will truly be tested. If we have nourished our faith, and exercised it daily, our faith will remain steadfast and we will grow from those storms, which will inevitably come to each and every one of us. I promise that as we rely on the Lord and have faith in Him, He will guide us through the storms of life, so long as we take the time to nourish and give it the things it needs to stay strong.
So, today, I am going to once again be using the Book of Mormon as my reference source. This time in the book of Alma, chapter 32. Alma was a really sweet prophet, and gave an amazing discertation on faith. I would like to share verse 37, although I encourage you to read the whole chapter.
Alma 37 says, "And behold, as the tree beginneth to grow, ye will say: Let us nourish it with great care, that it may get root, that it may grow up, and bring forth fruit unto us. And now behold, if ye will nourish it with much care it will get root, and grow up, and bring forth fruit". Now, in this analogy, let's compare the tree to faith. If we nourish our faith, with great care, it will bring forth fruit unto us. What are some ways we can nourish the fruit? Because we have such a loving God, He has provided many ways for us to nourish our faith. These include studying the scriptures, praying often, going to church, helping others, and so on and so forth. As our faith grows, we reap the rewards, which include peace, comfort, trust in the Lord, a firm testimony, temporal blessings, and of course, more faith.
Lastly, just as a tree needs constant nourishment from the sun, water, and the soil, our faith also needs constant nourishment from prayer, scriptures, church, and in serving others. But, it is important for us to remember that, along with times of nurturing and growth, there will also be times of stormy weather, where our faith will truly be tested. If we have nourished our faith, and exercised it daily, our faith will remain steadfast and we will grow from those storms, which will inevitably come to each and every one of us. I promise that as we rely on the Lord and have faith in Him, He will guide us through the storms of life, so long as we take the time to nourish and give it the things it needs to stay strong.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Back to the Basics: Faith (Part 2)
Yes, possibly the most basic of all the basics, faith. So, as much fun as long discertations that put us all to sleep are, I will do my best to refrain. Rather, I want to give a scripture or two, either from the Book of Mormon, New Testament, or the Old Testament, that really demonstrate this principle. As I contemplated what scripture I would like to share, many stories came to mind that showed a huge amount of faith. There was Noah who built the ark, Moses who lead the Israelites, David who defeated Goliath, and many more. But, today, I want to talk a little bit about a personal hero of mine. His name is Nephi.
Nephi is a prophet from the Book of Mormon, roughly around 600 BC. Nephi was commanded by God to build a boat. Not only that, this boat had to take him and his whole family across the ocean to the promised land. Also, Nephi had never built a boat before and had no clue how to do it. But, he was obedient and full of faith, and when he was commanded, he simply asked, "Lord, whither shall I go that I may find ore, that I might make tools?" (1 Ne. 17:9).
And then, the Lord showed him how to find the ore and how to build the boat. What a great example of faith! He had no clue what he was doing, but he had faith that the Lord would show him the way to do it, and that if he was obedient and followed God's commands, the boat would function properly, and it would be able to transport his family safely across the great waters.
I love this story. It shows that faith is truly more than just believing and hoping, it is action. Nephi didn't just sit around, hoping the boat would magically build itself, or that tools would randomly pop up out of the ground. Rather, he asked the Lord where to find ore to make tools and how to build the boat, and then DID it. I love Nephi's example for me. As I have great oceans to cross, and huge tasks that the Lords asks me to accomplish, I sometimes look at it and say, "You've gotta be kidding me!". But, the Lord promises that if he commands something, he will always provide a way for us to accomplish it (1 Ne. 3:7). All we have to do is have faith, and trust in the Lord, and there will ALWAYS be a way! I have seen this so many times in my life, especially out here on my mission, and I too can promise that all we have to do is go forward in faith, and the Lord will guide our footsteps.
Nephi is a prophet from the Book of Mormon, roughly around 600 BC. Nephi was commanded by God to build a boat. Not only that, this boat had to take him and his whole family across the ocean to the promised land. Also, Nephi had never built a boat before and had no clue how to do it. But, he was obedient and full of faith, and when he was commanded, he simply asked, "Lord, whither shall I go that I may find ore, that I might make tools?" (1 Ne. 17:9).
And then, the Lord showed him how to find the ore and how to build the boat. What a great example of faith! He had no clue what he was doing, but he had faith that the Lord would show him the way to do it, and that if he was obedient and followed God's commands, the boat would function properly, and it would be able to transport his family safely across the great waters.
I love this story. It shows that faith is truly more than just believing and hoping, it is action. Nephi didn't just sit around, hoping the boat would magically build itself, or that tools would randomly pop up out of the ground. Rather, he asked the Lord where to find ore to make tools and how to build the boat, and then DID it. I love Nephi's example for me. As I have great oceans to cross, and huge tasks that the Lords asks me to accomplish, I sometimes look at it and say, "You've gotta be kidding me!". But, the Lord promises that if he commands something, he will always provide a way for us to accomplish it (1 Ne. 3:7). All we have to do is have faith, and trust in the Lord, and there will ALWAYS be a way! I have seen this so many times in my life, especially out here on my mission, and I too can promise that all we have to do is go forward in faith, and the Lord will guide our footsteps.
Back to the Basics
Hello again. As I contemplated what I wanted to blog about, I thought about what the most important things are for us to do/have/be. Then, as if a sudden burst of lightning hit me, I realized that it really was the basics. Ya know, like faith, repentance, scripture reading, praying, etc... So, I decided to call this first series of posts "Back to the Basics". It should be a lot of fun as we really go and look at the very basics of the gospel and those things that will most benefit us in life. Hope you enjoy!
Welcome!
Well, I want to first off, welcome everyone to the blog. I am super excited to be able to blog. A little about myself. I am a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I am out here in the greater Nashville, Tennessee area and having an awesome time of it!! I hope this blog will help inspire, uplift and teach. Well, here goes. Welcome, and thanks for reading!
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