Post # 76 – A Personal Relationship with Our Heavenly Father through Prayer

Dear Family and Friends

I hope this post finds each of you healthy and well, during this flu season. I have had a few students out with strep throat and influenza this winter. They are not all back yet, I still have a few out sick.  I have been thinking a lot about how important it is for each one of us to develop a personal relationship with our Heavenly Father, when I came upon this talk that was given at BYU-Idaho that seemed to strike a chord with me. 

This talk was also referenced in the Church News which you can read here: https://www.thechurchnews.com/archive/2017-11-30/develop-a-personal-relationship-with-god-elder-juan-a-uceda-tells-byu-idaho-students-33018

February 2019

A Personal Relationship with Our Heavenly Father through Prayer

Lessons from the New Testament

By Elder Juan A. Uceda       Of the Seventy

From a Brigham Young University–Idaho devotional address, “A Personal Relationship with Our Heavenly Father as Taught by the Lord Jesus Christ,” given on November 28, 2017.

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When was the last time you felt something as you were praying?

When I use a mobile phone to call my mother and father in New Jersey, USA, I can hear their voices clearly. I do not know how it is possible, without any cable or visible connection, that I can talk to them so far away. But I know it works!

Now, please do not ask me how it is possible that millions of people can pray at the same time, and in different languages, and our Father in Heaven is ready to listen and to answer at the same time. I cannot understand how that happens. But I know it works!

Just like a mobile phone, prayer works, even though we may not understand exactly how. But there are some things about prayer that we do understand.

I have been baffled at how our cell phones can allow us to talk with anyone anywhere and not have a long-distance charge. Have you ever thought about all the prayers that certainly must go to our Heavenly Father every minute of every day? Does this not help you to realize just how amazing our Heavenly Father is, and how much love He has for each one of us? 

 

Pray from the Heart

We read in the scriptures, “Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened” (Luke 3:21). Jesus teaches us that a prayer from the heart can open heaven. He said, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (Matthew 7:7).

Today, we usually use the word ask to request something. But in the original Greek, the word is aiteo, which means not only to ask but also to beg, crave, or implore. The heavens will not be opened if we just say prayers. They will be opened if we beg, if we crave, if we implore, if we pray from the heart.

When you pray, do you feel like the heavens are opened? When was the last time, as you were praying, that you felt something? 

I know that it is important for us to pray with a sincere heart and to have faith that Heavenly Father will answer your prayers. It may not be the answer that you want or in the time or way that you want, but He always answers your prayers😊 I have never thought about having the heavens opened, I just know that my prayers are answered.

Prepare to Pray

To avoid falling into routine prayers using vain repetitions (see Matthew 6:7; 3 Nephi 13:7), we should prepare ourselves to pray. I suggest reading a scripture or briefly pondering our blessings. Each one of us can find ways to prepare for personal prayer.

I don’t know that I have really ever thought consciously about preparing for prayer – other than to write down names of people that I wanted to be sure not to forget in my prayers, but I guess it makes good sense to do so. I guess this will be my challenge this week – to try to remember to prepare for my prayers, before I pray. I guess I have a lot of impromptu prayers as my need arises – quite often!! I am so-o-o forgetful and it seems to be getting worse. I wonder if it is just me and getting older or if it is my ‘chemo-brain’ getting worse and I'm not completely sure but I bet that is a great possibility. I did find this counsel from President Henry B. Eyring:

President Eyring reminds us that prayer “is a two-way communication between God and His children.” Taking the time to prepare for our prayers can make that two-way communication possible. You could use your journal to spend a few minutes preparing to pray each day. You could make lists of blessings you want to thank Heavenly Father for, people who need your prayers, and questions you may need answered. Then invite the Spirit by singing a hymn or reading a few verses of scripture. As you pray, pay attention to how the Holy Ghost guides what you should say, and pay attention to your feelings and thoughts (see D&C 8:2–3). Consider recording your experiences in your journal and reviewing answers you receive. You could also use the activities on pages 95–97 of Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Missionary Service to help you evaluate your prayers and learn to recognize the Holy Ghost.

Pray Even When It’s Hard

Every now and then, we rush through prayers or pray out of routine. Sometimes we do not pray with faith in Jesus Christ, and sometimes we do not pray at all. But it’s at those moments when we lack faith or don’t feel like praying that we most need to pray.

I am sure that we have all been guilty of rushing through our prayers at one time or another – I know that I am guilty of this as well. I would like to think that I pray with faith in Jesus Christ, but there have been times when I have felt afterwards that my faith may not have been as strong as I had supposed it was at the time, I had prayed☹ I have found this to be so true. When we do not feel like praying, is when we need to be praying the most.

President Brigham Young (1801–77) said: “When it is dark as midnight darkness, when there is not one particle of feeling in my heart to pray, shall I then say, I will not pray? No, but [I say] … knees, bend yourselves upon the floor, and mouth, open; tongue, speak; and we will see what will come forth, and you shall worship the Lord God of Israel, even when you feel as though you could not say a word in His favor. That is the victory we have to gain. … It is between the spirit and the body; they are inseparably connected” (in Journal of Discourses, 3:207).

Satan does not want you to pray because he knows that the moment you start praying from the heart, you obtain spiritual power and he loses influence over you. A mighty prayer enables you to face challenges such as anxiety, depression, and doubts about your own faith.

If you do not remember the last time you felt something as you were praying, then do something about it. Through prayer, you can establish and maintain a personal relationship with your Father in Heaven. 

 I have always believed that there is power in prayer. And I have learned first hand that there IS power in prayer!!! Satan does not want us to pray because he also knows that there is power in our prayers – that through prayer we can gain the power to resist hos temptations! You can read more about temptations from the Bible Dictionary in the scriptures here: https://www.lds.org/study/scriptures/tg/temptation?lang=eng

Spend a Moment in Heaven

When you desperately need help from heaven, prayer can give you power to make the right decisions. A prayer from the heart is indeed a moment in heaven, and even though answers may not always be immediate, a moment in heaven can help you to chart your course in mortal life. 

I never actually thought about prayer as being direction for our mortal lives, but I think that could be precisely what it can be. It was through fasting and prayer that I made the decision to move here and that move has truly been a huge blessing. Actually, truthfully many wonderful blessings have been received in our family since the move. 

I have three amazing daughters-in-law, and eleven precious grandchildren from those marriages, then there are my daughter’s children which adds another seven precious grandchildren to my family and we will soon be adding another precious granddaughter to our family in a week or so –amazing blessings😊

In a world where people “call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter” (Isaiah 5:20), you need to know that the heavens are open to you.

Prayers offered from the heart, mighty prayers, can give you spiritual power to face such things. When the heavens are opened, we can feel peace, comfort, joy, and love, even though we may not immediately gain complete understanding. 

Isn’t that a wonderful thought – that the heavens are opened to each one of us? and with the heavens opened to us we receive directly from heaven the strength and power we need to oppose, withstand, and face Satan and his followers who all seek to destroy our faith and our families any way they can. Remember that Satan wants us to be miserable just like he is ☹   

   

Follow the Savior’s Example

We can learn a lot by studying how the Savior prayed.

“And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed” (Mark 1:35).

Jesus prayed first thing in the morning and sought a solitary place to pray. Do you pray first thing in the morning? Do you avoid distractions? Do you unplug yourself from the world and strive to establish a connection with the heavens?

Luke also records that Jesus “withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed” (Luke 5:16). Do you have a place of prayer where you go when you wish to petition your Father in Heaven? 

Even though I am not yet perfect in this area, I will keep trying and keep learning so that I can be better and do better. In studying the New Testament, I have learned this to be true and I agree that we can learn a lot from studying the Savior’s example of prayer.

Remain Humble

Matthew tells us that the Redeemer, as He prayed, demonstrated humility. “And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt” (Matthew 26:39).

What does it mean that he “fell on his face”? The word for “fell” in the original Greek is pipto, a verb that means “to descend from an erect to a prostrate position.” When the moment comes for personal prayer, remember that you are going to address the most intelligent and powerful being in the universe, “the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:3). Before such a being, I cannot be casual. I feel compelled to kneel.

Jesus Christ also set an example when He said to His Father: “Not as I will, but as thou wilt.” When you say, “Not as I will, but as thou wilt,” do you truly mean it? What changes do you need to make in your mind, heart, and actions to truly be sincere? 

I have learned that it is important for us to humble ourselves before we begin our earnest, heartfelt, prayers. And I love these questions that he has mentioned throughout his talk. Maybe it might be a good thing to ask ourselves these questions before we pray. We also need to remember that we are seeking our Father’s will and not that of our own. Jesus showed us this by His example when He said, “thy will be done.”

Seek Earnestly

 As you strive to be humble, honest, and sincere in your prayers, you will find it easier to accept Heavenly Father’s will, even when it may not match what you had in mind. Again, we turn to the example of Jesus Christ: “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly” (Luke 22:44).

When facing a difficulty, do you spend time asking yourself, why me? Or do you pray more earnestly? The expression “more earnestly” comes from Greek words meaning “without ceasing, fervent.” So Jesus teaches us that in moments of trial, we have to pray fervently, without ceasing. I invite all those who are going through times of distress to turn to the living God.

Times of distress can provide a great opportunity for our Heavenly Father to teach us. Our hearts soften and our minds wrestle for answers. If we seek Him, He is there.

I know that when I am struggling through a trial or have an immediate need, the Lord is there for me. I don’t ask ‘why me?’ I always ask, ‘what do you want me to learn from this trial or situation?’  being diagnosed with cancer is not an easy thing to deal with, but for me, through prayer, and with Heavenly Father’s peace and assurance each day I am able to stay positive about my situation and be grateful for the extra time I have been given to spend with my family, my children, my grandchildren, and my great grandchildren.😊

I do believe that when we pray, He is there for us.  He loves us no matter what we do!! Just as our parent love us no matter what we do or say, sometimes they may not be too happy with u, but they always love us. He truly wants to hear from each one of us every single day and often times with me it is off -and- on all day long😊I believe that our Heavenly Father wants to hear from us about every little thing in our lives – He already knows what is going on in our lives, but He is waiting to hear about it from each one of us, in our own words.

Believe That He Will Listen

The Savior said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Be not afraid, only believe” (Mark 5:36). Believe that God the Father will listen to you. Believe that He “will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart” (Doctrine and Covenants 8:2). Believe that you—yes, you—can feel peace and comfort. Believe that you can receive spiritual power to overcome.

Mighty prayers do reach the heavens. In the book of Psalms, King David says, “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice” (Psalm 55:17). One of the meanings of the word pray in Hebrew is “to speak.” And that is what we do when we pray to our Heavenly Father: we speak to Him.

When we offer a mighty prayer, we have the attention of the most powerful, merciful, and loving being in the universe. We spend a moment in the heavens. And we all need a moment in the heavens, especially when we are going through difficult times.

I know beyond any doubt that there is a God in heaven. He is your Father and my Father. He lives. His name is Love. His name is Mercy. In spite of being nothing before Him, I can kneel down before my Maker, and I can speak to Him. And He, in His infinite mercy, answers back, again and again and again.

When we say our prayers, we are talking to our Father in heaven. We are putting our trust in Him. We believe that He is listening, and that He will answer all of our prayers. Just as the satellite keeps us connected through our cell phones, tablets, and computers, our prayers keep us connected without Heavenly Father. If we can put our trust in a satellite system for our communication with our Family and Friends, we should have no problem believing and trusting our Heavenly Father who is always there for each one of us. we cannot always say that for our satellite systems you know.

I am sure that each of you have experienced a dead spot in your travels, during a storm or other bad weather – even the wind sometimes can affect the signal we receive. But, guess what? The only time our signal I blocked to our Heavenly Father is when we forget to take the time to open the channel of our communication – it does take effort on our part. He is waiting and often blesses us when we do not seem to deserve it, but it is totally up to us to reach up, to kneel down, to make the effort to communicate with Him through our actions. Each or our actions will either move us closer to our Heavenly Father or we move ourselves away from Him ☹  I wand to thank everyone out there in the cyber space who has prepared these beautiful quotes and scriptures. I thank each one of you for putting them out there in the computer world for us to use. my many thanks to each of you who freely share your gifts to bless and uplift the lives of others in the world.. 

Well, here we are again, at the end of my post, I do enjoy spending time with each one of you. As always, I hope and pray that this post has found each one of you healthy and well and that I have shared something that has uplifted you in some small way. Until my next post, don’t forget to pray – your Heavenly Father is waiting to hear from each one of you. He loves you and truly wants to hear from you. So be sure to reach out to Him, learn of Him and share your lives with Him through prayer --- He is waiting for you to make the first move. Please, don’t forget to make it a great week!!! 😊

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I want to thank everyone out there in the cyber space who has prepared these beautiful quotes and scriptures. I thank each one of you for putting them out there in the computer world for us to use. my many thanks to each of you who freely share your gifts to bless and uplift the lives of others in the world. May  God bless each of you will all that you stand in need of on this  beautiful day😊

Post # 75 – Come, Follow Me: Week Six -- “The Spirit of the Lord Is Upon Me”

February 4-10: Matthew 4; Luke 4-5

Dear Family and Friends

I suppose you have noticed that I am a bit behind with my lessons☹ I am still getting used to the new schedule. We are only doing the lessons every other week, but we are trying to keep up with them on our own! Which I thought I was doing—but I guess, not so much, sorry☹ I will ask you to bear with me. I know that I got posts done, but I could not find them – guess what, I found them! I had written them on my kindle – that’s why I couldn’t find them on my computer. I was sure that I had written them, I just couldn’t find them.

When I didn’t find them of course I figured that I hadn’t written them, but only though I had☹ then I have had posts done but didn’t push the publish button. Wow! I am such a mess – right? But I will keep trying to do better. I bet none of you have this problem. So, this one I had written on my kindle before Valentine’s day, because I had mentioned how I was planning a Valentine’s day party for my students – but we would have it the day after Valentine’s day. I am transferring what I had on my kindle to my computer so I can share it with all of you. But please be patient with me, my fingers move so much slower that they used to. Though I am so grateful that they are still moving😊

Oh, by the way, the party was a huge success😊 even though I could not find the games that I usually use! I ended up just liking around my room and I found some empty milk just from Sam’s club – you know the weird shaped ones that are white? I put a valentine’s man on the front of them and used a bouncy ball from the dollar store and we had bowling😊 then I took and empty box and put a large heart on it with a mouth cut out, grabbed a bean bag and we had a bean-bag toss game!

I seem to be misplacing a lot of things lately☹ I wonder sometimes if my ‘chemo-brain’ is getting worse. I hope it is only a passing problem because it is really quite frustrating for me not to be able to find what I need when I need it. I don’t know if I mentioned it before, but I have been looking for some important papers that I needed for work – I have been working on lesson plans, you know the drill of a teacher. 

Well, I found the papers and I m redoing my lesson plans, which I need done for a substitute while I go do my doctors appointments and my chemo next week (when I originally wrote this post, I had three weeks to get everything done, but now it is up one me). I had tried for a few weeks to remember what I had done with the papers that I had prepared – to no avail. 

Though I fasted and I prayed very diligently, I thought I had not received and answer, I actually had received an answer, but I kept going around it because I had no reason to have put the papers there. Good news, I found the papers that I needed, once I really stopped to listen to the Holy Ghost and follow those promptings that I had been receiving. now I will be able to finish up the work I was doing and be ready for my substitute😊 as my brother always says when I try to praise him – Yeah me!!!! Except he is not ever really excited when he says it☹

Let this be a lesson and a warning to you – be sure to really listen to the promptings that you receive from the Holy Ghost and follow them. Don’t let your inner self-talk talk you out of looking here or there or doing this or that for whatever reason your mind comes up with. Remember, if it is good then it comes from the Lord and you should act on it.

And if you are looking for something that you thought you had looked everywhere for and you would have no reason to have put it here or there, but you are prompted to look here or there – just do it! Give it a try. Maybe like me, you will be pleasantly surprised at what you will find in the place you wouldn’t have had a reason to have put it there😊if you but trust those promptings of the Holy Ghost, which are directly from your Heavenly Father.

I think I kind of kept rationalizing away His promptings and that is why I was getting so frustrated and mad at myself for misplacing the work in the first place. I think I kind of brushed aside in my mind where I was being prompted to look, because that was not where I had kept the papers before and in my mind’s eye, I saw them in the last place I had worked on them but nothing more would come to me.

Well, like I said, the papers were found and now I can move forward with my assignment and finally get it finished! And that will take care of a third of what needs to be done at work right now. The other two- thirds I have a pretty good handle on. Now I can focus on the things at home that I am needing to accomplish before my new grand daughter arrives the first of March😊 I am way excited for her to arrive and so are her brothers and her big sister-cousin!

I have made myself assignments to do each Saturday, but I have been elsewhere, so I have not been able to accomplish those tasks either☹ I guess I just need a couple of Saturdays being at home, without any distractions maybe? Truly they are such wonderful distractions – most of the time. I am sure you know how 2- and 5-year-old boys are😊 they definitely keep you busy. And they are so fun!! They love to make pillow forts on gram’s bed. They enjoy having me read to them and I love reading to them. They teach me so much and are we learning so much together. I love it!!! I wish I had, had and could have this same quality time with each of my grand children and my great grand -children.

The lesson I had written in this original post was for the week of February 4-10. This week’s lesson is about Jesus being tempted by Satan, in His preparation for His earthly ministry Satan tried to put doubt of His identity of His mission.. doubt of Himself into His mind when he said in Luke Luke 4:3 -- "If thou be the Son of God," Jesus knew who He is, and who His Father is, He had taken the time to pray and visit with His Father in Heaven as part of His preparation before He was tempted by Satan. He knew what was in the scriptures and He knows that they are the word of
God and that they are true. 

Remember what Satan offered Him with one of the temptations? the answer is found in Luke 4:6 -- "all this power will i give thee" Satan offered power to Jesus that he didn't have to offer. Jesus had all the power that He needed already given Him by His Father as found in Luke 4:14 -- "the power of the Spirit."Jesus relied on the strength from the Holy Ghost that His Father sent to Him so he was able to continue in the work He was predestined to do as found in  Luke 4:43-- I must preach the kingdom of God .. for therefore am I sent ." 

Yes, this lesson is about temptations – which none of you have ever experienced, right? Not so, for most of us. The temptations in these verses are about those that Jesus himself faced, but they do apply to each of us in our everyday lives in one way or another. We can learn so much from learning about the experiences of those in the scriptures – especially from Jesus’ life and His ministry. In these verses we will learn about three different types of temptations – which each of us will face at some time in our lives.

This lesson covers: Matthew 4; Luke 4-5. Shall we explore it together? Okay here we go: Jesus fasts forty days and is tempted—He begins His ministry, calls disciples, and heals the sick. In these chapters Jesus fasts for forty days, He went into the wilderness to, as it says in Joseph Smith Translation Matthew 4:1, --:to be with God."during this time, JST, Matthew 4:1  Joseph Smith Translation
1 Then Jesus was led up of the Spirit, into the wilderness, to be with God. Then he is tempted ,tested, tried, proven, by the devil. think about the things that each one of you do to feel closer to God. 

I pray, fast, study my scriptures, attend sacrament meeting each week and participate in my classes on Sundays.  Feeling close to our Father in Heaven -- how does this prepare us to do what our Father in heaven has asked us to do here on this earth. For me, it helps because I know that I am not in this assignment alone. I know that my Heavenly Father will be there with me -- in fact He will go before me. 

Jesus was sin free during His mortal life yet He was tempted, Mosiah 3:7

Book of Mormon  7 And lo, he shall suffertemptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death; for behold, bloodcometh from every pore, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people.  We should not feel guilty if we feel tempted. Jesus Christ also faced temptations by the devil and He overcame all of those temptations, therefore He can help each one of us to overcome those temptations that we face in our mortal lives. He can and He will help us to overcome our temptations -- check out  Hebrews 2:18; Alma 7:11–12 if you haven't done so already

The first temptation is that of food.  We will need food to survive. It is important to remember that Jesus had fasted for forty days and I presume forty nights before this temptation was put before Him, JST Matt. 4:2 … and had communed with God, he was afterwards an hungered, and was left to be tempted of the devil., so He was most likely starving.in Matthew 4 verse 3 "If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bbread." To this temptation Jesus responds to him in verse 4 of Matthew 4.’ It is written, aMan shall not blive by cbread alone, but by every dword that proceedeth out of the emouth of God."

The second temptation is when Satan tries to get Jesus to jump off from the pinnacle of the temple and let the angels take care of Him. JST, Matthew 4:5

Joseph Smith Translation     5 Then Jesus was taken up into the holy city, and the Spirit setteth him on the pinnacle of the temple.This was to prove that He was the Son of God. To tempt God.. in Matthew 4 verse 6 "bIf thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone." 

Jesus responds to this temptation  in JST, Matthew 4:6  Joseph Smith Translation

6 Then the devil came unto him and said, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Satan wanted Jesus to tempt His Father by throwing Himself off of the highest part of the temple where he had placed Him, and to call upon the angels to take care of Him. In so doing Jesus would be tempting His Father because He would be deliberately placing Himself in danger that would require the angel’s help if He wanted to survive the fall. Unless He used His Godly powers, but He didn’t.

So, we should not put ourselves in a position where we deliberately cause our own problem (like jumping off a building) demand immediate help from the Lord by His angels – from above or those here on earth – when the situation that we put ourselves into could have been avoided. At least that is my take on this situation😊

So any of you have different ideas for this temptation? I think it is like so many of those in the scriptures who asked the Lord for a sign as proof that He exists. We do not need proof that He exists, we only need our faith to believe that He exists! We must continually nurture this faith every day, so that it continues to grow. Well, unless one of you has more to add here about this temptation or our faith – let’s move on to temptation number three.

 The third temptation Satan tries to tempt Jesus with an offering of riches, land ownership, and to be a ruler with all the glory that comes of this position. Along with this temptation comes an ‘if only’ statement found in verse 9- “JST, Matthew 4:9 Joseph Smith Translation       9 And the devil came unto him again, and said, All these things will I give unto thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.Jesus responds to him in verse 10 – “And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt ^aworship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou ^bserve.”

Jesus tells Satan, to get thee hence. I know this works because I have often told Satan straight up, to get out of my face. Jesus tells Satan ‘it is written’ meaning that it says in the scriptures that; man does not live by bread alone.’ ‘that man shall not tempt the Lord thy God.’ So, Jesus is teaching us just how important it is for us to be familiar with what ‘is written’ in the scriptures so that we can have what we need to resist the temptations of the devil.

We learn in reading Matthew 4:1–11 and Luke 4:1–13, Jesus Christ has set the greatest example for each one of us by facing and  overcoming His temptations. we can ask ourselves: What did Satan tempt Jesus with? Use His power to satisfy His hunger. Why was Jesus prepared resist those temptations? He fasted; He went to be with God; He knew the scriptures.   What does Satan tempt me with? What can I do to resist these temptations? How can I prepare myself to resist temptations? 

Because those temptations will come to each of us and they do, sooner than we think. It seems to me that temptations are all around us at every turn. You only need turn on your television to be tempted in one way or another – or even your computer. Satan is there using every good thing to trap us in his subtle snares. It is his design to disrupt our families and find a way to keep us in contention in some way so that we will choose not to be around our family for one reason or another.

Please teach your children. I am sure that you will do a much better job than I have with mine. I do not understand why I did not get it enough to teach them when they were young☹Don’t wait until your children they get older, teach them while they are young, and they won’t depart from it. Prepare them for his subtle tactics to cause contention within our homes. Remember that our homes can be a place of refuge from the world and all of its distractions.

These are things that can and possibly will cause friction within the walls of our homes, if we let it! We truly must be careful NOT to let these things into our homes. And Satan does not just target our children, he targets each of us adults as well. Any way he thinks he can put a wedge between husband and wife, father and child, or mother and child, he will do it!! We must be prepared!! 

We must always be watching for his sneaky ways he will use to destroy our families. We must do our best to teach our children the ways of Jesus.  We must teach them by our example to keep our Heavenly Father’s commandments, to follow the counsel of His living prophets. We must keep the Sabbath day holy, and attend our church meetings, to accept the calls to service that we are called to do – with a willing heart and to do our very best with each calling.

Am I prepared? Do I know the messages written in the scriptures well enough that the Holy Ghost can bring them to my mind in my time of temptation or my time of need? Are each of you prepared? Do you know the messages in the scriptures well enough for them to be at your hand when you need them? Remember, the Holy Ghost can only bring to our mind the things that we have learned. Our mind is like a computer – but we choose what to put into it! The best thing we can put into it are the things of God!

I know that I have a lot more to learn, but I keep trying every day to do better at those things which I know that Lord would have me do. So, let’s each one of us commit to learn the word of the Lord through prayer and scripture study --- and don’t forget to ponder what you learn and try to apply it into your daily lives. That’s when it really begins to click – when you apply what you learn. At least that is how it works for me. By doing something with whatever I have learned, be it in the scriptures or required workshop for my job – it is only on paper (so-to-speak) until I do something with it – act on the knowledge that I have received, then it becomes mine! Does this make any sense?

Back to the lesson. These verses remind me of the story of the widow who was gathering sticks so that she could make a fire so that she could cook a last meal for her son and herself☹ I can’t even imagine what she must have been feeling. Knowing that she only had enough food for one last meal before they would starve to death. I would think that she had probably been praying for some type of relief. Some way that she could continue to supply the needs of her son and herself. This was the last of the food that she had, and they were surely going to die without having any more food to sustain them.

As she is gathering the sticks for her fire, one of God’s prophets comes up to her and asks her to fetch him a drink. So, she gets him the water that he has asked her for. Then he makes a request that probably takes her aback for a second or two I am sure. He asks her to make him some food. She explains her situation to him. He replies to her that she should make him some food – just a little cake – first, before she should make any for her son or herself. He promises her that if she does this then the Lord will make sure that she and her son will never go without food. She trusts in the Lord’s promise and makes a cake for him and to her astonishment there is more meal in the barrel and more oil in the cruse.

Are you all familiar with this story of Elijah and the widow? You can find a wonderful video here: the prophet of God tells her to do something and she has faith enough to act on what he has asked her to do. This is a good example of how the Lord provides us a way out of our troubles. He does the same for us when we face temptations. He will provide a way for us to resist temptations. you can view the story here: https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-03-071-elijah-and-the-widow-of-zarephath?lang=eng&_r=1

Heavenly Father has given us the power and means to resist temptation.

            Why is it helpful for each of us to know that the Savior faced temptations similar to those each of us face today? Why do you think Jesus Christ was able to resist temptation? If you want to find other scriptural examples of people resisting Satan, you can search through the following verses:  Genesis 39:7–20; 2 Nephi 4:16–35; and Moses 1:10–22. What can we learn from each of these examples in the scriptures about how to resist temptations that come to us?

 

Jesus Christ is the prophesied Messiah.

            What do we learn about Christ from this story? and What do we learn about Satan? What could help each of you to resist temptation?

As each of you read Luke 4:18–21, I want you to each think about what it means to say that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, or the Anointed One.

          Another question you might ask yourselves, why do you think the people of Nazareth did not accept Jesus as the prophesied Messiah?

 

          Read through the following verses 1 Kings 17:8–24; 2 Kings 5:1–17; Luke 4:16–30 What do these accounts teach us about miracles and responding to God’s servants? Do any of you see any messages for yourself or the people of our day and Church members of our day in the Savior’s words to the people of Nazareth in their day? How can we apply this in each of our lives today?

 

The commitment to follow Christ means accepting His will and forsaking our own.

            Sometimes when we read the scriptures, the direction the Lord gives us doesn’t make sense to us at first, so we should read through it again, and again. Why don’t we each search Luke 5:1–11, looking for what the Savior asked of Peter and why Peter might have doubted His instructions. How might this experience have affected Peter’s views about the Savior and himself?

 

When my family and I moved here is was due to much prayer and fasting. I knew that it was the right thing for us to do. I knew that the Lord wants my family and I to be here and even though I did not know why we needed to move here. I trusted in the Lord and we made the move. I knew that it was the right thing for us to do, but to be honest I made the move kicking and dragging my feet (so to speak) the whole way. I did not want to give up the security that I had in our old home town. The move has been great for all of our family members. All of my children moved here as well, within the first two years of us being here. We have been living here since 2005 and we have been blessed so much for following the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

 

In Luke 5 verse 11, it says that the fishermen “forsook all” to go and follow Jesus Christ. There are at least a few things and in other cases – like mine many things I gave up or changed or “forsook” to become His disciple. What about the attitudes of those whom He first called – Peter, Andrew, James and John in Matthew 4 verses 18—22? What about each of our attitudes? What type of attitude should each of us possess of we want to be able to give up the things of this world to follow Christ?

 

How many of you have ever seen a commercial fishing net or even a small one? Picture that net in your mind – if you have never seen one, you might make a trip to Walmart or someplace similar and look in the sporting goods or toys departments so you can get a picture of a net in your mind. If you are not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or an inactive one, or one – like me who feels the need for improvement, this might be a good exercise for you to visualize what you are willing to give up to come and follow Christ.  You may want to view this video on continual conversion found here: https://www.lds.org/study/video/about-the-scriptures/2014-04-001-continuous-conversion-what-scriptures-mean-to-me?lang=eng

 

You can even create your very own net, either on paper or out of some yarn or string, then it might be a fun exercise to cut out some fish and write down on the fish just exactly what you are willing to give up to follow Jesus Christ. Once you have done this, put those fish on your net. Then ask in prayer for the Lord to help you to give those things up to follow Jesus. Got it? What things have you already forsaken (given up) or are willing to forsake (give up) to follow Jesus Christ and live as He would have each of you live? What does it mean to be “fishers of men”? What tools do we have to help us be fishers of men?

 

I have mentioned before how much my life has changed since I made the choice to be baptize and become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In making this choice I also chose not to smoke or drink alcohol or hot drinks like my tea. I also chose to change the way I dressed, with whom I spent my time, the way I spent my time. I chose to keep the commandments of God. I chose to make better choices not only for myself, but for my family as well. When I struggled with any of these things I prayed and my Heavenly Father gave me the strength that I needed to keep those promises that I had made to Him with my baptism.

 

Yes, I am here to tell those of you who are not members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – in becoming a member of the Lord’s Church, you are choosing to make a lot of changes in your life. These changes that you are about to make will be the best changes of your life – I promise you, it will be hard, but it will truly be worth it. You will inherit a ward family to support you and your family as you make these changes and they will be there for you. I love my ward family, they are all pretty amazing folks😊

The following comes right from the manual it says that there are basically three types of temptations, according to President David O. McKay:

 

Types of temptation.

After speaking of the types of temptation that the Savior faced in the wilderness, President David O. McKay taught:

“Every temptation that comes to you and me comes in one of three forms:

“(1) A temptation of the appetite or passion;

“(2) A yielding to pride, fashion, or vanity;

“(3) A desire for worldly riches or power and dominion over lands or earthly possessions of men” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay [2003], 82).

 

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland shares his insight on Jesus’s experience in Matthew chapter four, below:

Speaking of Jesus’s experience in Matthew 4, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland taught:

“‘If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.’ …

“The temptation is not in the eating. … The temptation, at least the part I wish to focus on, is to do it this way, to get his bread—his physical satisfaction, relief for his human appetite—the easy way, by abuse of power and without a willingness to wait for the right time and the right way. …

“‘If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down’ from the pinnacle of this temple. …

“The temptation here is even more subtle than the first. It is a temptation of the spirit, of a private hunger more real than the need for bread. Would God save him? … Why not get spiritual confirmation, obtain a loyal congregation, and answer this Imp who heckles—all with one appeal to God’s power? …

“But Jesus refuses the temptation of the spirit. Denial and restraint are also part of divine preparation. … Even the Son of God must wait. The Redeemer who would never bestow cheap grace on others was not likely to ask for any himself. …

“… ‘All these things will I give thee, if thou will fall down and worship me.’

“Satan … [asks], ‘What is your price? Cheap bread you resist. Tawdry Messianic drama you resist, but no man can resist this world’s wealth. Name your price.’ Satan is proceeding under his first article of faithlessness—the unequivocal belief that you can buy anything in this world for money.

“Jesus will one day rule the world. He will govern every principality and power in it. He will be King of Kings and Lord of Lords. But not this way” (“The Inconvenient Messiah,”Ensign, Feb. 1984, 68–71).

 

The following are a few positive verses for you to look up about temptation:

*  I prepare a way for their deliverance … out of temptation, D&C 95:1.

·         Be wise … yield to no temptation, Morm. 9:28.

·         Be faithful, and yield to no temptation, D&C 9:13.

·         He suffered temptations but gave no heed, D&C 20:22.

·         beware of pride, lest thou shouldst enter into temptation, D&C 23:1.

·         pray always lest ye enter into temptation, 3 Ne. 18:18 (D&C 20:33; 31:12; 61:39).

·         righteous yieldeth to no such temptations, Alma 11:23.

·         supplication … that they might not enter into temptation, Alma 31:10.

·         Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, 2 Pet. 2:9.

·         keep thee from the hour of temptation, Rev. 3:10.

·         mists of darkness are the temptations of the devil, 1 Ne. 12:17.

·         because of the pride … and the temptations, 1 Ne. 12:19.

·         neither could the temptations … overpower them, 1 Ne. 15:24.

·         why should I give way to temptations, 2 Ne. 4:27.

·         Blessed is the man that endureth temptation, James 1:12.

·         will with the temptation also make a way to escape, 1 Cor. 10:13.

·         lead us not into temptation, but deliver us, Matt. 6:13 (Luke 11:4; 3 Ne. 13:12).

·         Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation, Matt. 26:41(Mark 14:38; Luke 22:40).

Well, we are to the end of this lesson, I hope each of you have learned something new today, I know that I have. It seems that each time I study or even read I find something new that didn’t seem to be there the last time I was reading or studying my scriptures😊 does this ever happen to you? And if you will forgive me for being a bit behind, I will do my best to catch us up.

For the week of February 11-17, we will be studying John chapters 2-4. Ponder this question as you read look for the answer. What do I think it means to be “born again?” As always, I hope and pray that on my ramblings I have said something that has helped to uplift you and helped you come closer to your Savior, Jesus Christ. Until my next post, keep studying the New Testament, stay safe and remember to make it a great week!