2 Nephi 9:52

Behold, my beloved brethren, remember the words of your God; pray unto him continually by day, and give thanks unto his holy name by night. Let your hearts rejoice.

Do you wonder how it could be possible to “pray unto God continually by day” when your life is so busy? It almost seems to be impossible. After reading an Ensign article, I began to see how it could be achievable to have continual communication with my Heavenly Father. The following is a portion of the article by James T. Duke:

“According to George Herbert Mead, a great analyst of human behavior, thinking is essentially a conversation we hold with ourselves. ‘We can hear ourselves talking, and the import of what we say is the same to ourselves that it is to others.’ (Mind, Self and Society, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1934, p. 62.)

This described precisely how my mind works when my thoughts are just meandering along. My lips don’t move, and nobody hears me. But constantly, almost without interruption, I am saying things to myself: ‘It’s time for me to put out the garbage. I wonder how Dave (my missionary son) is doing today. I hope it isn’t too cold today where he is in Minneapolis. Well, I’d better get going, or I’ll be late for work. Oh, I didn’t put gas in the car yesterday. Maybe I don’t have enough gas to get to work. I wonder if I have time to stop on the way to school.’

If that kind of thinking is a conversation with ourselves, why not turn it into a conversation with God? And prayer isn’t much different from thinking. In fact, it has many similarities.

If, instead of talking to myself, I talked to my Heavenly Father, then my thoughts would be prayers. I’d be including Heavenly Father in every aspect of my life, every decision I make. I would, in essence, be praying continually.

With this insight, I find my heart is more frequently drawn out in prayer. My Father in Heaven has become for me an ever-present friend who listens as I talk to him. My thoughts become more meaningful and more holy when I direct them toward the Father:

‘I wonder how Dave is doing today. Father, please watch over Dave today and keep him safe. Please lead him to those who are seeking thy gospel. And thanks for letting me raise that fine son, and for his goodness and willingness to serve thee. Well, I’d better get going or I’ll be late for work. …’

Of course, I often slip back into talking just to myself, operating on my own. But more and more I am aware of the nearness of the Lord and the influence of the Holy Ghost. In those precious moments when my heart softens and I know that my Father hears me and loves me, how I love him! I love to call him Father. I praise and adore him, and my gratitude for him deepens day by day as my heart is drawn to him by prayer.” (Ensign, February 1986)

Next time you begin talking to yourself, invite Heavenly Father to join in the conversation.
Love, Sister Linnell