November 15 2020
Prayer –
Hello, I’m Sister Davis….welcome to church. I am glad you
are here. And even more importantly, Heavenly Father is glad you are here too.
Many people have said it before me, and many more will say it after me, but
this year has been an interesting period of time. Navigating the day to day and
month to month has been a constant challenge that we are all struggling to
handle. It seems like we just get used to what we had when something else
changes and causes us to reevaluate our daily routines and interactions.
This quote from President Erying fits my sentiments and
thoughts perfectly:
The world seems to be in commotion. There are wars and
rumors of wars. The economies of whole continents are faltering. Crops are
failing from lack of rain in places all over the earth. And the people in peril
have flooded heaven with prayers. In public and in private, they are
petitioning God for help, for comfort, and for direction.
We too need this help, comfort, and direction. Often
times, we feel that Heaven is too far away and God is not interested in our
daily lives. I boldly testify that he is interested, he does care, and he is
waiting to send you the peace and comfort you desperately need. I know, because
I need it too.
Can you believe he said that in October of 2001.
World commotion is not an uncommon theme found in the
Book of Mormon either. This week we have been learning about the Brother of
Jared in our Come Follow Me study. The Brother of Jared’s story has always been
fascinating to me. As a youth, I often
imagined and wondered and hoped that I would become as creative and innovative
as the Brother of Jared was with his 16 stones. While those qualities never
became a strong point for me, I have been able to develop a sincere desire to
pray to Heavenly Father over my trials and hopes just like the Brother of Jared
did. Often, just like his 16 stones that shone in the darkness, I am given personal
revelation that shines light on the decisions and choices I should make. I am grateful
for the Brother of Jared and his faithful example of prayer.
Nephi’s wife – I was recently skimming a talk about
uncommon hero’s of the Book of Mormon. One of the hero’s this messaged
discussed was Nephi’s wife. I can’t even imagine the horrors she went through.
It was never, ever, ever easy for her. Can you imagine eating raw meat in the
wilderness? Gross! I can’t even stand to go camping so my admiration for her
and her ability to go camping for years, eating raw meat, and birthing children
in the wilderness has reached celebrity status. And then she was excessively faithful on that
boat ride to the promised land and the years it took to settle and gain safety
in that promised land. I am grateful for the wife of Nephi and her dedicated
example of prayer.
Moses – As a child my sisters and I would often watch the
oldie, but goodie movie of Moses produced by Cecille B. Demille. I was always amazed
at the persistence of Moses – time after time he was taught thru prayer that Heavenly
Father was on his side. When the plagues came, when the red sea parted, when he
received the ten commandments, and when he constantly had to chastise the children
of Israel. I am grateful for the example
of Moses’ persistent prayers.
I know it has been a difficult year for each one of us. Afterall,
this massive life disruption called Rona is physically and emotionally scaring
and impacting every move we make.
There is one person that is not surprised by all
this….and that is Heavenly Father. He knows the end from the beginning and he
knows how this pandemic will play out in our specific lives. He knows it will
mold us into the person we need to become. He knows that, if we chose it to be
so, this time in our lives can be a time of exponential learning and growth.
Let me talk to the teenagers in the room for a minute….think
for a moment all the things (both good and bad) you have learned since March.
Now, that you have those things in mind think about what these things might
help you do as you grow into adulthood. Might you…..
Become a computer programmer that will create online
games
Become a nurse/doctor/PA that will administer vaccines on
a daily basis
Become a social worker/therapist that helps people
struggling with anxiety and depression
Become an entrepreneur that capitalizes on connecting
people when they can’t physically connect
Become a farmer that supplies needed food to grocery
stores and/or local families
Become a grocer that provides food to people like you and
me
Become a politician that helps your community thrive and
grow
Become a mother and maybe even a homeschool mother
Become a teacher that helps children navigate
hard/difficult emotions
Becomes a baker and provide yummy treats to both humans
and dogs
Become a mechanic that keeps vehicles running smoothly
for people
It is tempting to think, because of Rona, that the end of
the world is on our literal doorsteps (trust me, I’ve felt this way often), but
this moment in time is just a blink of the eye in the realm of eternity. The
best way I know of to seek help in making our way through this time is prayer.
Recently, Jeffery R Holland shared this quote
on Facebook about praying aloud. He said: “One of the great lessons I have learned about prayer is the
power that comes in praying out loud. For me, there is something about saying
the words. It is one of the most meaningful ways that I have found to really
reach through to heaven and hear the Lord’s voice.
We
need to carve out time—good time, high priority time—when we can kneel, if
possible, and be vocal. Say the words. I believe that this process is basic to
how God communicates with us and how He intends for us to communicate with Him”
So,
what prevents us from carving out this time. Perhaps pride, perhaps fear,
perhaps a belief that it won’t help or make any difference in your life. Let me
reassure you, that all the above are words that Satan likes to tell us. Let’s
banish these thoughts and trust in the process of prayer.
Now,
let me take you back to your childhood and teach you this simple song. It goes
like this:
I begin by saying Dear Heavenly Father
I thank him for blessings he sends
Then, humbly I ask him for things that I need
In the name of Jesus Christ Amen
These steps are simple, yet the words and emotions we
share with Heavenly Father can be quite complex. It is even okay to be sobbing
and crying while praying. No emotion is shunned. Heavenly Father loves it all.
Our best effort is what he loves because he is the perfect parent and hearing
from us brings him great joy.
I appreciated the example Brother Abbot shared with us last
week about prayer. In a nutshell, after many hours of searching, he was finally
able to find his glasses at the bottom of the lake. As we listened to his story, his efforts
seemed almost pointless. However, a knowing Heavenly Father knew how
desperately needed those glasses were.
But what happens if/when we don’t have our prayers
answered in the way we want them to be. Taking an eternal perspective helps me
when my prayers have not been answered the way I want them too.
Let me share an example from my family of this concept. Before
I begin my story, let me tell you about a family tradition my parents started
that I still continue to do to this day……whenever we get in the car to go
anywhere we said a little prayer asking for safety and protection. Okay, now to
my story. In January - almost two years ago my parents were involved in a
serious car accident. They had almost arrived at the home of my sister to drop
off my niece after she spent time with Grandpa and Grandma. Before they could
reach their destination a distracted 16-year-old driver, who was also speeding,
left his travel lane and hit my parent’s car head on. In an instant both my
parents and their car were seriously damaged. The airbags deployed on both the
driver and passenger seats. My Dad
received the least amount of damage – he ended up with a cracked sternum, and a
bruised leg. Mom was very beat up – 5 ribs were broken in multiple places, she had
whiplash, a cracked vertebra, a hemorrhaging spleen, her heart went into AFIB,
and her right tibia was shattered. Additionally, Mom struggles with asthma and
the accident caused her to have an even worst time of breathing.
Through many unseen angels helping at the most critical
part of the accident my Mom was able to remain calm with complete feeling in
her body without any pain. In fact, she was the one to call 911 and stayed on
the line until the ambulance arrived. Additionally, my adorable niece Ella,
only sustained a sprained ankle even though she was in the seat directly behind
my Mom.
If you look at this accident scientifically there surely
was no answer to the prayer my parents offered before leaving home. It is
difficult to see the positive from this situation no matter what angle you look
at it. However, when I talked to Mom recently - she testified to many answers
to prayer. I will share four of them:
-Dad is retired and Mom has always been a housewife. They
had no work commitments that needed to drastically change. At the time of the
accident, they were heavily involved in church callings that they had to be
released from, but they had all the time they needed to heal from the damage
this accident caused them both.
-Dad is a workaholic. He loves to work and when he isn’t
working he is helping family members with “projects”. Consequently, my parents didn’t have much of a
relationship for most of their marriage. Dad just wasn’t home enough to take
the time to build one. But when the accident happened, Dad had to step in and
be Mom’s caregiver while she recovered. Mom spent the first three weeks in the
hospital and then the next three months in a cast and with another month with a
walker while her right leg figured out how to walk again. Mom says their
relationship is so much better as a result of Dad’s careful and attentive care.
They also communicate better and work better together. These skills have helped them, once again, during
the past few months as Dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer, had surgery, and
then had a minor setback as a result of a bad stomach flu. Mom has now reversed
the role of caregiver and it has been a humbling experience for her.
-The third answer to their prayer was a spiritual gift my
niece received. As a result of this accident she, without a doubt, knows the
value of listening and obeying the promptings of the Holy Ghost. You see, shortly
before the accident she had dropped her water bottle and thought she would just
take off her seatbelt for a split second to grab it. She immediately got a
prompting to keep that seat belt on and that’s when the car hit them. She will
always know and remember that obeying the Holy Ghost kept her from serious harm
on that dreadful day.
Now, for the last answer to prayer - at the time of the
accident my oldest sister had been struggling to find employment. Month after
month passed and she didn’t know why she couldn’t find a job. Then, the
accident happened and Mom needed her help after leaving the hospital (when Dad
was still trying to recover himself). Amy was able to go out and assist Mom in
her recovery for 10 days. Her help came at the exact moment Mom and Dad needed
it most. Amy was also blessed to have an opportunity to travel to a place she
couldn’t otherwise do because of limited financial resources. She talks fondly of her time in Missouri and she
was so glad she was in a position to immediately go and take care of my
parents. Ironically, shortly after returning home she found a job. An answer to
prayer – absolutely.
I firmly believe that prayers are answered in many unique
and unusual ways – most of the times in ways we don’t expect them to be answered.
I am so grateful for prayer. Prayer is what helps me make it through the fog of
discouragement, worry, and stress that comes into my daily life (and I’m sure
yours too).
We also read in the scriptures of examples where – prayer
has moved mountains, eliminated pestilence, and eradicated famine…. but if it your
prayers don’t move your mountains, eliminate your pestilences, and eradicate your
famines trust in a loving Heavenly Father who has a unique and beautiful plan tailored
specifically for you. Trust that he will send the peace and comfort you, I, and
President Erying so desperately need when life is at its most stressful.
Testimony
