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😊