Sunday, June 26, 2011

3 Nephi 13:5-8

5 And when thou prayest thou shalt not do as the hypocrites, for they love to pray, standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.

6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret; and thy Father, who seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen, for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

8 Be not ye therefore like unto them, for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him.

Do we use "vain repetitions" when we pray? Are we thankful for the same things and asking for the same things and saying our prayers without even thinking about them sometimes? I know that I get caught in that cycle from time to time and have to remind myself that I'm not just saying words. I'm talking to my Father in Heaven, who loves me, and I love Him. He wants to hear from you and me, and we need to get advice and feedback from Him. Today when you pray, take the time to think about what you are saying. And take time to stop and listen. Prayer is a two way form of communication. I find that when I take the time to pause after I ask for something, or tell Him something, that the Spirit will speak to me and answer my questions and give me impressions on what I need to do. But, if I'm rushing through and saying everything on my list that I need to say, and then closing the prayer and hurrying off to the next thing, I don't receive nearly as many answers. So, pray today like you are having a heart-to-heart with your Father. Listen to His voice. Share things from your heart. Really take the time to feel His love for you. He knows what you need before you even ask of Him, but He really loves to hear from you and will bless you for spending time with Him every day. I know that's true.

Love,
Sister Jones

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