When we were given the challenge to choose our Becoming Project
attribute, I debated between Paying an Honest Tithe and being Prayerful.
I chose Prayerful because I wanted to strengthen my testimony of prayer
and use prayer more on a daily basis when looking for guidance with my
family, friends, school, church callings and routine issues that come up
at home. I wanted that personal, day to day relationship with Heavenly
Father that so many testify of and I did not have.
When I began reading the Book of Mormon, it was quickly evident that Nephi was a man who believed in God and the power of prayer. Nephi lead his family to the promise land by constantly asking for the strength, direction, mercy, and knowledge he needed to do so. I knew to navigate the changes that were happening in my life and finally make some choices; I needed to ask Heavenly Father for the same. I am a person of routine, so I started by setting a few goals, that I hoped would become a habit later. First, I started a prayer journal and then I put up a prayer reminder on my computer monitor. I started the prayer journal, so I could make a note of people who would ask for prayers throughout the day and not forget. I went as far as adding it to the daily task list I keep on my kitchen counter, so I would not forget at the end of the day. The reminder on my monitor was done, because I wanted to make sure I did a prayer before starting my homework and scripture reading each day. I started out strong with my journal and did really well the first 6 weeks or so. As the holidays drew closer, I got busier and was not referencing my daily check list, so I found myself forgetting at the end of the day. After pondering my failure to use my journal more, I concluded that my prayer journal is an amazing tool, but when someone I know asks for a prayer, I do not have to wait. I can stop what I am doing and pray for them in that moment and the chance of forgetting later is taken away. I do believe in the power of group prayer, so when someone ask for prayers, I want to make sure Heavenly Father hears the blessings I am sending. My second goal of praying before starting my homework has become natural for me now. The first few weeks I did forget sometimes, but I always stopped when I realized I had forgotten and did my prayer then. The reminder note is now gone off my monitor and I almost always pray before I get started. In the BYU-I learning model it states the following: have confidence that the blessings of heaven will accompany your efforts, see the gifts of the spirit in your education, use both reason and faith in your studies, pursue deeper answers and meaning, and seek opportunities to teach others who might not know. Asking to have the spirit with me each day and asking for Heavenly Father to share his knowledge, has given me the confidence I needed to get through my first semester of Pathways. I also held on to the promise Henry J. Eyring shared in his book titled, Major Decisions; “God cares about you and your education. He will not only help you get the education you need, he will take you to the people he wants you to encounter.” This learning experience has been entirely different than anything I have experienced in the past and I know that is because prayer is involved.
As my Becoming Project progressed, I started learning that I needed to be more specific with my prayers. I have always been a general prayer type of gal. In week 6 of my gathering group, we talked about asking for direction or confirmation from Heavenly Father when we are trying to make a decision in our life. When the group discussed this in detail, I felt like I had been doing it wrong all along. I do not know that there is a real wrong way to pray, but I will say I was not going about my prayers in the most effective way. If I am about to make a decision, I have always asked that Heavenly Father direct me as he sees fit. What I had not done is ask, after I have made a choice, for confirmation that my decision is the correct decision. When I am specific in my prayers, they actually become more meaningful. Although I am doing this more now, it is still something I need to continue focusing on in the future. I know that if I am in tune with the spirit, asking for that specific confirmation, I am more likely to feel the spirit when I am doing as he wishes.
Another area of prayer focus has been implement prayer in my daily life, as far as planning task and time management. “And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed” (Luke 5:16). Finding quiet time to think and pray about priorities and how to get there has become very important to me. I never thought about asking God how I should invest my time each day. I always thought of prayer as something you save for more important issues. After our Time Management lesson in Life Skills, that perspective changed for me. Each day I try to focus on my key relationships and ask how God wants me to serve. By keeping that focus, I realize not only does he help me have the power to get them done; he will give me the confidence in knowing what to put on my list.
Although prayer has become more of a priority in my daily life, occasionally when life is crazy or I am tired, I find my mind wondering and thinking about life in general and not praying with my full attention. A classmate in one of the discussion boards calls it “channel surfing”. To help keep her focus, she suggested praying out loud. I have found that advice to be very helpful and do most of my prayers out loud now. It also intensifies that communication and helps personalize it.
As I try and reflect on how I have become more Prayerful, I look at the pages and pages of notes I put together and realize I totally over prepared. It has been 25+ years since I have written an essay, let alone a reflective essay, but I can see the importance of doing so. With all of this material in front of me today, I realize I chose the right attribute. I have a testimony that God speaks directly to us through the spirit. I have a testimony that God answers prayers through scriptures. I have a testimony that the spirit guides others to teach or tell us what we need to answer our prayers. Lastly, I now have a testimony that God answers prayers on HIS terms, no ours.
When I began reading the Book of Mormon, it was quickly evident that Nephi was a man who believed in God and the power of prayer. Nephi lead his family to the promise land by constantly asking for the strength, direction, mercy, and knowledge he needed to do so. I knew to navigate the changes that were happening in my life and finally make some choices; I needed to ask Heavenly Father for the same. I am a person of routine, so I started by setting a few goals, that I hoped would become a habit later. First, I started a prayer journal and then I put up a prayer reminder on my computer monitor. I started the prayer journal, so I could make a note of people who would ask for prayers throughout the day and not forget. I went as far as adding it to the daily task list I keep on my kitchen counter, so I would not forget at the end of the day. The reminder on my monitor was done, because I wanted to make sure I did a prayer before starting my homework and scripture reading each day. I started out strong with my journal and did really well the first 6 weeks or so. As the holidays drew closer, I got busier and was not referencing my daily check list, so I found myself forgetting at the end of the day. After pondering my failure to use my journal more, I concluded that my prayer journal is an amazing tool, but when someone I know asks for a prayer, I do not have to wait. I can stop what I am doing and pray for them in that moment and the chance of forgetting later is taken away. I do believe in the power of group prayer, so when someone ask for prayers, I want to make sure Heavenly Father hears the blessings I am sending. My second goal of praying before starting my homework has become natural for me now. The first few weeks I did forget sometimes, but I always stopped when I realized I had forgotten and did my prayer then. The reminder note is now gone off my monitor and I almost always pray before I get started. In the BYU-I learning model it states the following: have confidence that the blessings of heaven will accompany your efforts, see the gifts of the spirit in your education, use both reason and faith in your studies, pursue deeper answers and meaning, and seek opportunities to teach others who might not know. Asking to have the spirit with me each day and asking for Heavenly Father to share his knowledge, has given me the confidence I needed to get through my first semester of Pathways. I also held on to the promise Henry J. Eyring shared in his book titled, Major Decisions; “God cares about you and your education. He will not only help you get the education you need, he will take you to the people he wants you to encounter.” This learning experience has been entirely different than anything I have experienced in the past and I know that is because prayer is involved.
As my Becoming Project progressed, I started learning that I needed to be more specific with my prayers. I have always been a general prayer type of gal. In week 6 of my gathering group, we talked about asking for direction or confirmation from Heavenly Father when we are trying to make a decision in our life. When the group discussed this in detail, I felt like I had been doing it wrong all along. I do not know that there is a real wrong way to pray, but I will say I was not going about my prayers in the most effective way. If I am about to make a decision, I have always asked that Heavenly Father direct me as he sees fit. What I had not done is ask, after I have made a choice, for confirmation that my decision is the correct decision. When I am specific in my prayers, they actually become more meaningful. Although I am doing this more now, it is still something I need to continue focusing on in the future. I know that if I am in tune with the spirit, asking for that specific confirmation, I am more likely to feel the spirit when I am doing as he wishes.
Another area of prayer focus has been implement prayer in my daily life, as far as planning task and time management. “And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed” (Luke 5:16). Finding quiet time to think and pray about priorities and how to get there has become very important to me. I never thought about asking God how I should invest my time each day. I always thought of prayer as something you save for more important issues. After our Time Management lesson in Life Skills, that perspective changed for me. Each day I try to focus on my key relationships and ask how God wants me to serve. By keeping that focus, I realize not only does he help me have the power to get them done; he will give me the confidence in knowing what to put on my list.
Although prayer has become more of a priority in my daily life, occasionally when life is crazy or I am tired, I find my mind wondering and thinking about life in general and not praying with my full attention. A classmate in one of the discussion boards calls it “channel surfing”. To help keep her focus, she suggested praying out loud. I have found that advice to be very helpful and do most of my prayers out loud now. It also intensifies that communication and helps personalize it.
As I try and reflect on how I have become more Prayerful, I look at the pages and pages of notes I put together and realize I totally over prepared. It has been 25+ years since I have written an essay, let alone a reflective essay, but I can see the importance of doing so. With all of this material in front of me today, I realize I chose the right attribute. I have a testimony that God speaks directly to us through the spirit. I have a testimony that God answers prayers through scriptures. I have a testimony that the spirit guides others to teach or tell us what we need to answer our prayers. Lastly, I now have a testimony that God answers prayers on HIS terms, no ours.
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