“You will have days when you will be discouraged. So pray for courage not to give up! … I promise you that as you follow Jesus Christ, you will find sustained peace and true joy. As you keep your covenants with increasing precision, and as you defend the Church and kingdom of God on the earth today, the Lord will bless you with strength and wisdom to accomplish what only members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can accomplish”
President Russell M. Nelson, “The Future of the Church: Preparing the World for the Savior’s Second Coming”, Ensign, April 2020
Tomorrow is Easter. Tomorrow we celebrate the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The only couple of events that really matter in the history of this world, in the history of this universe. Because of Him, we CAN overcome physical death and spiritual death.
We have the ability, if we take it, to rise above our natural man (and woman) tendencies. It is up to each one of us. Christ already did His part. He fulfilled His mission. He sacrificed Himself for me, for you. He fulfilled His ministry so we know how to overcome our tendencies.
But we cannot do it alone. We need help. We need divine help. The only way to get that help is to open up a channel between us and Heavenly Father. And, that happens through prayer.
Through prayer, we can be better, because Christ made it possible. Through prayer, we can get stronger and better able to handle challenges. Through prayer, we can learn our plan and what we as individuals need to do. Through prayer we learn and retain knowledge. Through prayer, we show God that we are wanting to do what it takes.
I need to pray as if God is in the room. Like I am conversing with Him face to face, having a conversation. And not just go through the motions or recite the same intentions through different words. Afterall, He knows what is in my heart. He knows what I want to say before I do. I need to get better at praying.