Week #2 Prayerful

Dear Mom,

Patience was great until Friday and Saturday and then I kind of lost my sight for a moment. I would bring myself back to my goal and try to think about what it was I was trying to accomplish. It was good for me, which is why I chose Prayer for my next week.

My earliest memory of prayer is kneeling as a family EARLY, EARLY in the morning. Am I the only one who still remembers how early that was? It was still dark. But it was always a nice start to my day.

One moment, that has always stuck out the most to me, was when we moved to Oregon. I remember you and Dad knelt us kids down, and we had prayer. After the prayer was offered, dad and you asked us one by one where we felt we should move, Oregon or Colorado? It was unanimous, Oregon. That has always had an impact on me on the power of prayer.

This quote below was one I read from Elder Bednar, which I love. He describes how morning and evening prayer work together in our day. It’s long.

“There may be things in our character, in our behavior, or concerning our spiritual growth about which we need to counsel with Heavenly Father in morning prayer. After expressing appropriate thanks for blessings received, we plead for understanding, direction, and help to do the things we cannot do in our own strength alone. For example, as we pray, we might:

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  Reflect on those occasions when we have spoken harshly or inappropriately to those we love the most.

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  Recognize that we know better than this, but we do not always act in accordance with what we know.

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  Express remorse for our weaknesses and for not putting off the natural man more earnestly.

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  Determine to pattern our life after the Savior more completely.

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  Plead for greater strength to do and to become better.

“Such a prayer is a key part of the spiritual preparation for our day.”

“During the course of the day, we keep a prayer in our heart for continued assistance and guidance—even as Alma suggested: “Let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord” (Alma 37:36).”

“We notice during this particular day that there are occasions where normally we would have a tendency to speak harshly, and we do not; or we might be inclined to anger, but we are not. We discern heavenly help and strength and humbly recognize answers to our prayer. Even in that moment of recognition, we offer a silent prayer of gratitude.”

“At the end of our day, we kneel again and report back to our Father. We review the events of the day and express heartfelt thanks for the blessings and the help we received. We repent and, with the assistance of the Spirit of the Lord, identify ways we can do and become better tomorrow. Thus our evening prayer builds upon and is a continuation of our morning prayer. And our evening prayer also is a preparation for meaningful morning prayer.”

“Morning and evening prayers—and all of the prayers in between—are not unrelated, discrete events; rather, they are linked together each day and across days, weeks, months, and even years. This is in part how we fulfill the scriptural admonition to “pray always” (Luke 21:36; 3 Nephi 18:15, 18; D&C 31:12). Such meaningful prayers are instrumental in obtaining the highest blessings God holds in store for His faithful children.”

I am admitting this now, I never thought of prayer like that. I had morning prayer to get me through the day, and evening prayer to thank him for the day, but the next day I would just start over. “Evening prayers are preparation for a more meaningful morning prayer.” I love that. “ Such meaningful prayers are instrumental in obtaining the highest blessings God holds in store for His faithful children.” I love this too.

Here was another quote I found and loved:

“When we teach those we love that we are spirit children temporarily away from a loving Heavenly Father, we open the door of prayer to them.” Pres. Henry B. Eyring

How often do I speak of where they came from? Not often enough.

So this brings me to my goals for the week:

1. Pray Always

2. Talk more to my kids about life before they came to earth

3. Report back, making it a continuous prayer and more meaningful morning prayer.

As I take the time out to be a better mother, I know prayer will be a huge piece to being a good mom. The Lord will be there for me to help me accomplish my goal each week. I should have started with this one instead of patience.

Parenting is a partnership with God. He knows and loves these little ones. He knows of their divine potential. He is aware of what they are capable to accomplish in this mortal life. He knows their thoughts, hopes, strengths, weaknesses only He can tell me exactly what they need and when they need it. I can’t imagine anything more fantastic then that. I can’t imagine not communicating with him EVERYDAY.

Mom, thank you for teaching me how to pray and more importantly that someone was listening. This is one of the greatest lessons you have taught me. Everything else you could have slacked off on.

Thank you, I love you!!

Kathy