Intro: My name is Mern. I come from the awesome land of Eagar. I went to college. I work at UoP. I bought a house here. I work on my house. blah blah blah
Talk about last time I spoke which was in Egypt 2009. Spoke on prayer.
I would like everyone to think back to the last conversation they had with their best friend. What did that look like? Were you so excited to tell your friend about your day, and ramble on and on about your life and problems? Then when you were finished say, welp, see ya later. talk to ya next time! Or did you wait for a response? Some advice on that problem or excitement about your accomplishment.
When we pray for a minute, or two, or five, or fifteen and don't stay on our knees for even a second, we are having a one sided conversation with our Heavenly Father.We give him no time to answer us. Perhaps we might get more of an answer if we continue to kneel for a minute, or two, or five, or fifteen until we get ideas of inspiration, or the warm feeling that can be our answer.
Prayer is a privilege. Not only to speak to our Father in Heaven, but also to receive love and inspiration from him. At the end of our prayers we need to do some intense listening. Then as it reads in Ps 46:10 We can "Be still and know that he is God" As we are "still" after we pray we can know that he is our God and learn of his plan for us.
As Larry King said, "I never learned anything while I was talking." Heavenly father knows us. He already has an idea of what we do everyday and what we are struggling with. So more than anything he wants us to know him. He wants us to know of his plan for us and his love for us.
It can be east to feel like we don't have that relationship with Heavenly Father. We may may be praying. We may even be listening, but we feel we get no communication in return. This may be for a few reasons. Heavenly Father does answer our prayers, but often we aren't prepared to hear him or it could be because some prayers are answered quickly, but others take a long, long, long time (insert funny joke about waiting to be married here!!). We run out of patience. We must keep ourselves worthy to receive the answers to our prayers. It would also be helpful if we could pray for 2 things.
1. Pray for the blessing you want. This can be ANYTHING. Nothing is to small to pray about. If it is important to you, it is important to him.
2. Ask for the blessing of understanding. Then if he feels, for his reasons, the blessing isn't appropriate for that time, the blessing of understanding will come.
What a blessing for each of us to know that our father lives and that he loves us. He will always, always be there to listen. Even if it is a one sided conversation and we don't take the time to listen to his side of things. He will be patient and wait. Everyone must gain that testimony on their own. I would like to challenge you all to do that. To start building, or continue to strengthen communication with Heavenly Father. As we receive answers to prayers we will sense his love for us and learn to rely on him more and more.
Family story of our Foreign exchange student learning to pray.
Through his experience he was able to start building a relationship with his Father in Heaven. He now knows that he is there to speak to and can turn to him in times of need.
Testimony on Prayer and Obedience.
