Pray With Faith

So, this week has been awesome. A few cool things for you before I enlighten your souls... heheh..

- Monday we taught the best lesson I've ever been a part of at a Family Home Evening at a member's house.. they want us to make a sign up sheet for the whole ward to participate in our object lesson! Haha! So rad! (We taught the Plan of Salvation using fun little cut-outs)
- Tuesday I lost in a game of chess. ..(Just to reassure you I'm definitely not good at everything..)
- And... General Conference was amazing. Seriously insane. 27 pages of notes (13 sheets) would confirm that for you, right? 
- As well as... Transfer calls! They came! And.. I'm staying with Elder Ellsworth! Haha. But, alas, Elder Bryan is leaving (toward the Military Bases like Humphrey's), and Elder Light has been assigned to strictly work with deaf members in our ward. TOO cool. Elder Whitney will be coming to Elder Song (My trainer's third son) and Elder Lund will be Zone Leader with Elder Lion. 
...Should be rad. 
- Other than that, we've had a good week, and got a referral from the SLC Temple which should be super rad!

(1 Nephi 13:37 ... read it HERE)

Now, time for the important part. 
Who would like to receive some light?

"You are a child of God. Your Heavenly Father loves you and knows your needs, and He wants you to communicate with Him through prayer. ...As you make a habit of approaching God in prayer, you will come to know Him and draw even nearer to Him. Your desires will become more like His. you will be able to secure for yourself and for others blessings that He is ready to give if you will but ask in faith." (True to the Faith, pg. 119)

We have been asked to pray powerfully, often, vocally as well as silently, with real intent and "all the energy of heart". Prayer is something that has always been a staple, a building block, and more or less the foundation of my testimony. I'm someone who always wants to know whether I'm making the right decisions or not, working hard enough, or walking in the right direction, and prayer has always been something that has been able to let me know. ..Lately, life has been a little harder - more stress, anxiety, homesickness, nightmares, insomnia.. ..Don't get me wrong, I'm not about to give up - it's just that life is a little harder right now - and so, I've found myself most comfortable on my knees lately. In the middle of this week, I was especially uneasy and just couldn't feel any sort of peace or direction, so instead of praying the routine.. what.. 6 times a day (Missionaries pray very often), I included an extra 3 or 4 vocal prayers throughout the day. ..Kneeling by myself with my Father in Heaven really helped me to understand why prayer is so important, and what it should really be like. Prayer is a form of communication. We're just kids, all of us, and our Father in Heaven wants to hear from His children! If you were away from your parents for a very long time, or maybe just didn't feel like you'd want to drive 300 hours, miles, or months to see them, what would you do? Call them, right? You'd want to talk to them! I know I sure do! But, would you pick up the phone, call your dad or mom, and tell them very quickly and abruptly all the things you would really really love to have in the form of a bunch of run-on sentences and then hang up the phone? ...Haha I sure hope not!

Prayer is like a telephone call to our Father in Heaven and it needs everything a phone call has. Telling, listening, acknowledging, responding, explaining, expounding.. rather than just requesting. I like this quote by Howard W. Hunter, it says:

"If prayer is only a spasmodic cry at the time of crisis, then it is utterly selfish, and we come to think of God as a repairman or a service agency to help us only in our emergencies. We should remember the Most High day and night- always- not only at times when all other assistance has failed and we desperately need help."

..With my imperfections, inadequacies, doubts and weaknesses, prayer keeps me going. It's that one thing that just simply doesn't change or disappear. It's always an opportunity for me to speak with my loving, encouraging Father in Heaven and walk away with an attitude of , "Yeah.. I get it. With you, I can." rather than succumbing to walking forward in the valleys and trenches of my trials alone. 

My friend Gordon B. Hinckley once said, "Recognize that there is a power greater than ours, that no mater how good a man is, he is not good enough, that no matter how wise he is, he is not wise enough, that no matter how strong he is, he is not strong enough for the things which he will face in life, and that there is a source of power to which he can go with the assurance that he will be listened to and that there will be a response."

I am confident that as you sincerely take the time to speak with your Father in Heaven about anything and everything you will will feel blessed, loved, encouraged, and comforted. Whether tears come, or you feel the peace of the Spirit inside of you, I promise you will feel His presence in your life and know of a surety that He loves and cares for you. So stand tall, on your knees, and you'll never have to walk alone. 

All the love,
The one and only (..neh, I'm sure there are others.. haha)

- Elder DeMille!