Prayer

Sisters,

Today is a beautiful  Sabbath day.  It was great to go to church and be taught about testimony and then end in Relief Society being taught about prayer which is the means to us gaining a testimony and knowing  it is true.  Sister Heidi Peterson helped facilitate a great discussion on why we pray, where we pray and why we need prayer.  The spirit was there and I was reminded of my testimony of prayer today.

While I was sitting there listening to all you Sister’s sharing such great thoughts I was brought back to remembering the last time I REALLY felt the spirit through prayer.  And even though this is a very personal and sacred experience I want to share it with you as an example that sometimes even when we want something so desperately, and we PLEAD and PRAY for that very thing, even when we think it is our time to receive the answer to that desperate prayer, we need to remember that ‘Faith in God, includes faith in his timing!”  When we keep that perspective in sight, the wait isn’t nearly as grueling as we thought.

I know I share a lot of stories about my dear friend Verna.  But this one is particularly poignant and taught me great perspective. One night she was feeling really sick and she was scared because she didn't understand what was happening to her and her mind. Around 3 am after I got her calmed down she looked at me with those innocent eyes and said, "Will you say a prayer for me?" I said, "I would love to say a prayer with you Verna. But I need to know what it is that you want me to pray for?" at that question Verna grabbed a hold of me and started to offer one of the most humble, faithful, tender and pleading prayers I have EVER been a part of.

I don't remember all the words that she said, but I do remember the words that touched my heart completely. " Heavenly Father, I have been praying to you every day since I was 10 years old. I have been righteous.... I have done everything that I was supposed to do and I am ready to come home..... I am asking you to please take me home." Both of us were crying and I held her in my arms for a few minutes and told her that I loved her. I thought she would go home that night after that heartfelt and humble prayer. It touched me so much. I felt like I was in heaven that night... the veil was so close. I tearfully related that story to her daughter Sherry a few days later and found out that when she was 10 yrs old her Mother died. Of course that is when she started to really pray to her Father in Heaven and have a personal relationship with him.. she needed that comfort and she knew where to go even at 99 for that comfort. Well even after that prayer she still remained for another 3 weeks on this earth. As I said before, I thought there was no way that Heavenly Father couldn’t answer the pleading of his faithful daughter.  But it was not time yet.  Did he eventually come to her rescue?  Yes!  In his time she was relieved of her suffering and was brought home as she requested. 

How many times have each of us felt desperate for that answer that we PLEADED for?  How many times was that answer given to us but it wasn’t in the instant… we may have had to wait awhile?!  I too testify to you Sisters that just as Verna prayed to her Father that early morn with such faith and humility, we too can have that personal relationship with our Father.  We too can plead for him to come to our rescue.  We are all worthy of that rescue.  But if that rescue doesn’t come right away, please don’t think he isn’t listening.. he is.  He is right there with us but sometimes he knows a better way, a better time, a better purpose for our struggling.  Keep the faith!  Be Believing!  Keep those prayers coming.

I will be forever thankful for that early morning example of dear Verna.  It awakened me to the sense of how much WE need our Heavenly Father.  We CAN’T do it alone!  We need his guidance! We need his rescue!

May the Lord be with you this week Sisters.   May you find the comfort you need through your own prayers to deal with the challenges that face you!  The Relief Society Presidency LOVES YOU so much!  Thanks for being you and being the answer to many of the prayers being offered.. you come in form of the answer many times!

Pray Always!

Meg