Receiving Answers To Prayers

   In the past, I've heard some people say they feel their prayers are stopping at the ceiling and not quite making it to God. I wonder if from time to time each of us feels this way. We feel that even though our prayers are being said, they are not being heard, and more importantly they are not being answered.
   Each of us can take comfort in the words of Paul to the Romans "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39)
   I know that God loves each of us and hears our prayers, and if we do our part, He will answer our prayers. So the question is, what do we need to do to receive our answers?
   I came across a wonderful talk by Elder L. Lionel Kendrick called, "Personal Revelation."
   In the talk he gives a lot of counsel and I'd like to share just a short bit of it:
   "Receiving personal revelation is not a passive process. As we seek such revelations, we must prepare for these sacred experiences. President Spencer W. Kimball told us that “God reveals himself to [people] who are prepared for such manifestations.”

   The Savior spoke of this principle of preparing to receive personal revelation. He shed light on the things that we must do to properly prepare: “It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins [repents] and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name [prays], and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments [obeys], shall see my face and know that I am” (D&C 93:1).

   To properly prepare to receive personal revelation, we must repent, ask through prayer, be obedient, search the scriptures, fast, think pure thoughts, and develop a spirit of reverence."

   Elder Kendrick concluded his talk by saying, "It is a tender experience to petition our Heavenly Father in sincere, heartfelt prayer and know that He will respond with personal revelation. His promises are sure, but we must properly prepare to be receptive to the promptings of the Spirit in receiving this guidance."

   To see the full content of the talk and find more guidence on how to receive answers to your prayers and how to recognize them, please go to http://lds.org/ensign/1999/09/personal-revelation?lang=eng&query=receiving+answers+prayers and read "Personal Revelation."

Overcoming Feeling Overwhelmed

   Life can be overwhelming. Sometimes we just have a ton to do and not enough time to do it in. Sometimes things happen we don't understand. Sometimes we just don't know what we're doing!
   I think we've all struggled with that at some time or another- and if you haven't, knock on wood... even as missionaries we have those same struggles and feelings. I know I have on my mission. Recently I've learned some pretty cool ways to overcome feeling overwhelmed.
   I recently shared this discovery with some friends of mine: Sometimes life hits us like a river, and rather than trying to contain that river in a bucket, now I look at it as a river to swim in. Do I understand it all? No. But I don't have to. I just do all I can, and when the challenges are too big to conquer immediately- I just swim through it. I do all I can, and leave the rest to God.
   That's what I've learned to do, and it's helped a lot in my life recently. Just look at the good in the world, and don't worry about what you can't handle. Know that God will take care of you. He loves you, and if you turn to Him, it will all work out in the long run. Even if you can't see the ending.

An Uplifting Poem- The Oak Tree

   A poem was shared in church a little while back. I thought I'd share it with you:

"The Oak Tree"

A mighty wind blew night and day
It stole the oak tree's leaves away
Then snapped its boughs and pulled its bark
Until the oak was tired and stark

But still the oak tree held its ground
While other trees fell all around
The weary wind gave up and spoke.
How can you still be standing Oak?

The oak tree said, I know that you
Can break each branch of mine in two
Carry every leaf away
Shake my limbs, and make me sway

But I have roots stretched in the earth
Growing stronger since my birth
You'll never touch them, for you see
They are the deepest part of me

Until today, I wasn't sure
Of just how much I could endure
But now I've found, with thanks to you
I'm stronger than I ever knew

-Johny Ray Ryder Jr.

   I hope that helps lift your spirits as much as it lifts mine. What a wonderful poem!

Epiphanies are great!

   I just love it when my mind completely blanks and I can't think what to say next and then something profound just pops out of my mouth. Have you ever had that happen?
   Just the other day I was trying to explain to someone what it was like to gain a spiritual witness of something. I couldn't quite find the words so I tried to think of something to compare it to. Before I could think of anything my mouth decided to go for it. So out came an explanation that it was like building trust in a friendship. At first you don't know how trustworthy they are, but over time, as you listen to what they say and see how well it works, you begin to trust them. Right? You don't just trust some stranger on the street, do you? Well, it's the same way with learning to trust the Holy Spirit. As I've gotten to know how the Spirit speaks to me and as I've follow the impressions he gives, I've gained trust in him. The Holy Ghost has never lied to me. The more I've become familiar with him, the more I've come to know he can't lie, and he's always right. I didn't just start trusting everything he said from the first. My trust and faith has grown as I've tried out what he's said, until it has grown to where it is now, and it keeps growing each and every day.
   Pretty cool, isn't it? I'd never thought about it like that before, so I'm glad my mouth ran in front of my mind this time. I learned something new!
   So for you readers out there, how have you learned to trust the Spirit?