Prayer

I am still developing a plan on how to accomplish my goals with this blog. For now I will be spring boarding off the information found in Elder Andersen's conference address, searching the Scriptures and studying the words of Latter-Day prophets to gain insight into specific topics from Christ's life. This Sunday I will be teaching a lesson on Praying to our Heavenly Father. I might as well multi-task and so my first blog topic I will explore is PRAYER...

Quoting Neil L. Andersen speaking of our children,

"Do they know that Jesus often taught, 'Ask, and ye shall receive'? Do His prayers of thankfulness and His pleadings to His Father flow through our children's minds as they kneel in prayer with their own concerns?"

Prayer is the communication we have with our Heavenly Father. Jesus himself prayed to the Father and gave us an example of how we should pray in the Lord's Prayer.

“Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
“Give us this day our daily bread.
“And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”
Matthew 6:9-13

We can learn much from this simple prayer by breaking it down...

"Our Father," is a term of endearment to me. If I were speaking with my sisters about our earthly father, a smile would creep into my eyes, my heart would warm, and a feeling of safety and love would envelop me. I know if I need anything, no matter what time of day or night, my Dad is there for me. Isn't this the same relationship we should form with Our Heavenly Father? He is there 24/7 waiting for word from His children, including word from me and my children! I know my Dad doesn't care what I tell him, he loves me anyway and always. Surely "Our Father" feels the same.

"Hallowed be thy name." Although He is our Father, he is holy...omnipotent...Elohim. We should speak to Him as if we know Him for he certainly knows us! But we must give Him the respect he deserves, remembering we are nothing without Him.

"Thy Kingdom come." You know, it wasn't until I started breaking it down myself that I realized this is it's own statement. I have always thought of a comma between "Thy Kingdom come." and "Thy will be done." like they were married to each other. For some reason it changes the focus for me. Why would Christ ask us to pray for God's Kingdom to come? Before, I guess I thought of it being God's will and it would happen regardless of me. Separating them allows us to see that we should pray for God's Kingdom to be present in our lives. In praying for this presence, we are opening up our hearts to the will of God. We can then build His Kingdom on earth, in our homes, in our families. I know this is just one step in God's Kingdom coming. The fullness of this promise occuring when Christ comes again and the earth receiving its paradisiacal glory, but my goal in this blog is to apply Christ's life for the benefit of my children. So what do I want my children to learn from this? There is a song, "Home can be a Heaven on Earth..." The building blocks to God's Kingdom can start in our home, but we have to invite the builder into our hearts and homes in order for the work to begin.

"Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven." This is the last portion of the Lord's Prayer I am going to explore today. I don't want anyone getting bored and if I expect my kids to read this, then I can't make it too lengthy...I know how much they LOVE to read! How do I liken this portion of the prayer to my family. Well, it is my will that my children learn of God, His Son, and the blessing available for them. We are told in 2 Nephi 2:25, "...men are, that they might have joy." I believe it is God's will that my children are happy. I believe they were happy in their premortal state. I know they were happy babies, and I know they bring me joy. Granted..not all the time, but our journey here on earth will not always be easy either. It is also God's will that we learn and progress and grow so that we may be ready and worthy to receive all He has to give us. True joy and happiness comes not from the world with the toys and technology available. It doesn't come from cars and clothes, or from trips to exotic places. It comes from the peace of knowing the Lord knows us; He knows what is best for us; His will is for us to have joy in this life and in the next life; His will is incapable of leading us astray.

My prayer for my children is that they will desire to learn of Christ's life and his love for his Father. I hope they can develop a lasting relationship with the Father and his Son, knowing they will never lead them astray.


Sources:
John 17, Matthew 6, Luke 11 from the King James Version of the Bible
3 Nephi 13 in the Book of Mormon
"Guided by His Exemplary Life",Joseph B. Wirthlin, Liahona 1999 February
"Lessons from the Lord's Prayers" Russell M. Nelson, Ensign 2009 May