Prayer is a very real thing. It can help people is so many ways. Something I don't think most people realize is
that you don't have a maximum amount of prayers you can say in a day. Sometimes you need to be on your knees
constantly offering up your heart to the Lord. I know he answers those prayers.
We were out earlier this week and we had a time
where we could choose whether we wanted to go to the church and do some online
work or we could go talk to some people and then maybe do some online stuff. We didn't know what to do but time was
slipping by. I had the thought that we
need to pray. At first I thought,
"but I'm in the middle of a busy part of town and I don't want to fold my
arms and pray." Then I remembered
the words of Thomas S. Monson, "dare to be a Mormon, dare to stand alone,
dare to have a purpose firm, dare to make it known." I realized that we just needed to buck up and
say a prayer for guidance. So I told my
companion and he was hesitant at first as well for the same reasons. I told him that I would offer the prayer and
so I prayed for guidance as to where the Lord wanted us at this time and then I
had the thought, "Jaxon, you're a missionary and missionaries talk to
people." So I told Elder Allen that
we needed to go talk to the people.
 |
| Flat Libby in my worn-out shoes |
Now to put the rest of this story in
perspective, it is very windy outside, it's raining and it is not warm rain
either. So we walk away from the busy
area of town and start heading to the less active members house and we are
passing house after house and no one is outside and school is in session so
that makes this place look like a ghost town. Well we walk past a house and at the same
moment we walk past a lady walks out of her house to smoke a cigarette. We took this opportunity because we are
missionaries and we do that to talk to her about the gospel. As the conversation continued we found out
that she herself didn't even know why she came outside because she never does. But we asked to share a quick message with her
and so she invited us in. It was so cool
because she was so receptive to the Book of Mormon and she needed guidance in
her life because her husband just passed away not even a year ago. It was so cool because we would read things
out of the Book of Mormon and she would relate them to the Bible. It was awesome! So we left her with a Book of Mormon and then
went on our way.
The Lord answers prayers. He may not answer them how we want or what we
expect but he answers them. Nephi has
such an experience in 1 Nephi 7 when his brothers tie him up. He writes this in verse 17, "But it came
to pass that I prayed unto the Lord, saying: O Lord, according to my faith which
is in thee, wilt thou deliver me from the hands of my brethren; yea, even give
me strength that I may burst these bands with which I am bound." In Nephi’s prayer to the Lord he asks Him to
give him strength that he may burst these bands. Because I mean how cool would that be. His
brothers tie him up, he says a prayer and then BAM!!! He breaks the bands like they were nothing. But the Lord doesn't do that. It says in the next verse (18), "And it
came to pass that when I had said these words, behold, the bands were loosed
from off my hands and feet, and I stood before my brethren, and I spake unto
them again." Instead of giving
Nephi the strength he needs to break the bands which held him the Lord loosens
the bands. I don't think Nephi was planning
on this, but this is a perfect example as to how the Lord works. It may not be grand and awesome in how the Lord
answers our prayers and it may not be what we want or expect; but the Lord will
answer them how He sees fit.
I love
the power that prayer has in everyday life and it changes things entirely. We
have a way where we can literally talk to God. How cool is that!! We have a way of talking to the most Supreme
Being in the entire universe and people sometimes squander that opportunity. They pray when they need it or when something
goes wrong. We need to pray daily and
create a personal relationship with our Heavenly Father. I love you all!! I'll catch ya next week!!
Elder Zeller
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