More thoughts on talking with God from my daughter:
We must ask
There is a Jewish saying from the Talmud I’ve always liked, that helps me picture our connection to the heavens from down here on earth —
” There must be a stirring below before there can be a stirring above. “
In our dealings with the Lord we are expected to move of our own volition, when we ask it separates us from every other living creature, simply because we exercise our agency. Heaven responds to inquiries. This is one of those eternal Principles.
Heaven is controlled by governing principles. Just as we must abide the conditions for obtaining blessings, Heaven’s help comes in response to ordained limitations, principles, laws, and ordinances. If you aren’t asking you are sealing the heavens. The first vision came as a result from a specific vocal and private prayer in which Joseph ASKED to know more.
Ask, and it shall be given unto you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. [3 Nephi 14:7 further illustrates the need to take action]
I thought about all of these action words — ASK, SEEK, KNOCK. I came to the conclusion that faith requires action and action activates faith. So when you ask for something in prayer it actually activates faith.
I thought about my experience in realizing that HF really does know me, and he cares down to the silly details. For quite some time we had been feeling squished in our condo and I had wanted to move into a house with a yard. I knew HF knew this but I didn’t want to seem ungrateful for where we were currently living, I was grateful for what we had. I thought if it was meant to be we would stumble upon a house. But then I realized I hadn’t asked Him…it was after all a righteous request, we needed more room and a yard for the dogs, etc. So I took all these considerations to the Lord and decided I would ask if we could move, what could asking hurt?
The next day my husband came home from work and told me his friend Scott’s sister-in-law was moving and wanted to rent their house out. I hesitated as it was in a different city, new ward, new schools. I didn’t even think about the prayer I had recently offered. Asking for more room. The following day, I was thinking about the possibility of moving and then like a ton of bricks it hit me — this was the answer I had asked for, it had happened so fast I wasn’t expecting it. (Sometimes I am slow to see the hand of the Lord guiding my life — often he has to thunk me on the head to get me to notice!)
Timing
More often than not my prayers are not answered that quickly and more often they are answered on the Lord’s time.
My husband and I lived in Hawaii when we were first married. Shortly after moving there I misplaced my scriptures and wasn’t sure where. I’d had them for years with personal markings and notes all over, even a copy of my Patriarchal blessing in them. I was pretty distraught as time went on and they didn’t turn up.
I prayed long and hard and posted a reward on campus to anyone who found them, I checked lost and founds at school and in the church building. Nothing. I hadn’t want to buy new ones as I felt it might seem like I had given up faith. But finally as we neared our last few months there I decided to try something different. I would buy new scriptures, study them, make notes in them and show HF that I was willing to start over and then maybe he would bless me with my old ones as they were sentimental.
I continued to pray. We approached the semester ending and our time to move home … still no scriptures. I begged with HF to not let me leave the island with out my beloved scriptures. Still nothing. We moved back to the mainland.
I was sad and thought I had not had enough faith to bring them back.
Fast forward 3 plus years. I am hugely pregnant with my first baby and we are living in Logan, my husband was at Utah State getting his MBA. I decided to go to an institute class. I sat there listening, making notes in my newer scriptures….pining away for my old ones. And still feeling sad and a little surprised that I hadn’t been able to pray them back. I tried to decide to let it go and move on. Maybe it wasn’t meant to be.
Later that same week my mom called me to tell me she got a letter from somebody looking for me… It was an older Sister Missionary serving in Hawaii. She had been cleaning out a church closet and found my scriptures. As she looked through them she thought that they seemed quite loved and that someone must be missing them. She was able to locate my parents, through the information on my Patriarchal blessing and left a number to call her.
I was in shock. And again had to laugh as I had just days before lamented over them. Had HF heard me? I called this sweet sister and told her she was a long awaited answer to my prayers. They arrived days later in the mail. I rejoiced.
The Lord answers our prayers … sometimes through others
Prayer is one way we connect to the Light of Christ, it can keep us better in tune; more able hear and to follow the promptings given by the Holy Ghost.
What if that sweet sister missionary had not followed through on finding me?
What if our friend had not mentioned to us this house for rent?
What if I had not taken the time on that rainy day to teach my kids about prayer?
All of these things were promptings, small whisperings that were acted upon, helping me line upon line, precept upon precept, teaching me about the power of prayer. Truly I believe we are all divinely connected and able to help each other progress.
We can look at prayer, not just as a wish list, but as an opportunity to be lead every step of the way, allowing the still small voice to become the compass in our own wilderness travels. If we will but pray and listen for direction , we can draw down the powers of heaven to build up the kingdom of Zion in our hearts.
This may sound too simple, but is great in consequence. Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way. (W.H.Murray)
