Friday, April 17, 2015

The Power of Prayer~


My dearest Grandmother taught me at a young age what the power of prayer could be in my life. I remember her telling me; "always carry a prayer in your heart. You can pray anywhere."  
I love to kneel in prayer morning and night and at other times too. I like the idea that I have a Father In Heaven who loves me and wants to hear from me on a daily basis. I feel so blessed to know that I can pray anytime, anywhere and under any circumstance.
Just recently I received a call from one of my children. It was a deeply heartfelt call. I didn't know what to say to her, but I said a silent prayer and the words just came as to exactly what I needed to tell her. There are other moments when I need an answer for a question that I have had and after praying, I have felt that I should look at the scriptures and or other resources and there the answer would be.
"I believe that prayer will open doors; prayer will remove barrier; prayer will ease pressures; prayer will give inner peace and comfort during times of strain and stress and difficulty".
 ~ President Ezra Taft Benson 
 I do thank God for prayer. 
I have always loved President Ezra Taft Benson; he married my husband and I almost 48 years ago. We had the privilege to visit with him a couple of years after we were married. This was a sweet moment for us. I have always enjoyed his messages. This year in our Relief Society meetings we are studying his teachings. I want to share a few of his Quotes and thoughts~
"I would humbly urge all...to keep in close touch with our Father in Heaven through prayer."
"Jesus Christ has taught that we should pray always,"
"Families that pray together are blessed with stronger ties of love and the peace of heaven."
Here are just a few things we can do to improve our communication with our Heavenly Father: 
1. "We should pray frequently".
2. "We should find an appropriate place where we can meditate".
3. "We should prepare ourselves for prayer".
4. "Our prayers should be meaningful and pertinent". 
5.  We should ask for strength to overcome our problems. 
6.  We should pray for inspiration to guide us in daily decisions.
7. "We should always pray with a grateful heart for all we have been blessed with". 
8. "After making a request through prayer, we have a responsibly to assist in its being granted."  We should listen. Perhaps while we are on our knees, the Lord wants to counsel us". 
"Remember God is mindful of us and ready to respond to our prayers when we put our trust in Him and do that which is right. There is power in prayer. All things are possible through prayer." ~ Pres. Ezra Taft Benson

Here is a sweet poem on prayer~
"I know not by what methods rarer,
But this I know, God answers prayer. 
I know that He has given His Word, 
Which tells me prayer is always heard, 
And will be answered, soon or late. 
And so I pray and calmly wait.
I know not if the blessing sought
Will come in just the way I thought:
But leave my prayers with Him alone,
Whose will is wiser than my own,
Assured that He will grant my quest, 
Or send some answer far more blest".
~anonymous

I'm not sure what I would do if I didn't have the opportunity and ability to pray to a very loving Heavenly Father. I know that our Savior Jesus Christ lives and that He is there for us. He is our Advocate with the Father. They love us all and they know our names. I have had countless prayers answered and miracles have occurred. I have never doubted the power of prayer. 
All quotations are from President Ezra Taft Benson's message and can be found here.

3 comments:

Barb said...

Hi LeAnn!

Very appropriate for me right now . . . there is such power in prayer. I don't get to go to RS right now, bu I do love the teachings of Pres. Benson, what a wonderful Prophet he was!

We both know and have been recipients of many answered prayers . . . Thank you for sharing today!

Hugs and love,
Barb

Christy Monson said...

I do love this post. Beautifully written. Sometimes Heavenly Father is so quick to answer my prayer, that I feel humility and gratitude overwhelm me. I am so grateful for a connection with my loving Heavenly Father. The Spirit is such a great teacher

Debbie said...

i remember taking that picture, the flowers were so lovely!!

i always get a little excited when i see my pictures here, knowing how much you enjoy them!!!

have a happy weekend!!!!!