Lesson #1 ~ OBEDIENCE...
Verse 1 of Section 108 says "...Yours sins are forgiven you, because you have obeyed my voice..." Lesson remembered ~ Following the prophet and being obedient lead to forgiveness!
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin in October 1995 Conference taught:
"The windows of heaven are open wide to the faithful and righteous; nothing closes them faster than disobedience. The unworthy cannot access fully the network of revealed truth...
"To open the windows of heaven, we must conform our will to God's will. Diligent, enduring obedience to God's laws is the key that opens the windows of heaven. Obedience enables us to be receptive to the mind and will of the Lord."
Two blessings that come from OBEDIENCE ~ Forgiveness and Knowledge of the mind and will of God in our life ~ the opening of the windows of Heaven!
Lesson #2 ~ PRAYER...
Verse 7 of Section 108 says "...strengthen your brethren in all your conversation, in all your prayers..."
I asked myself if there truly was strength given to another through my prayers for that individual. I believe that there is. As I sit here typing this I think back to the strength I felt when my parents passed away. Each experience was a little different for me, but I felt strength in each. So I wonder how much of that strength came to me from Heaven yet through the prayers of those that love me. The spirit whispers to my heart right now that there is greater power than I realized through the prayers of others in my behalf. WOW! Now my heart tells me that I must be more diligent, more faithful in my prayers for others because there is power in that! Power in praying for those that I love ~ power in praying for those that I don't know yet need strength!
So my study of prayer in this verse led me to the Bible Dictionary about prayer. This is what especially stood out to me...
"As soon as we learn the true relationship in which we stand toward God (namely, God is our Father, and we are his children), then at once prayer becomes natural and instinctive on our part (Matt. 7:7–11). Many of the so-called difficulties about prayer arise from forgetting this relationship. Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other. The object of prayer is not to change the will of God, but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant, but that are made conditional on our asking for them. Blessings require some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them. Prayer is a form of work, and is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings."
We pray in Christ’s name when our mind is the mind of Christ, and our wishes the wishes of Christ—when his words abide in us. We then ask for things it is possible for God to grant. Many prayers remain unanswered because they are not in Christ’s name at all; they in no way represent his mind, but spring out of the selfishness of man’s heart."
I realized this morning that my prayers have become repetitious again. I must correct that and REMEMBER my relationship with my Heavenly Father and pray with the spirit so that I will know what to pray for, who to pray for, and what blessing to ask for. Then I must pray with greater gratitude. Then I believe that I will begin to understand the will of my Father and then what I want for myself will become what He wants for me. That is my greatest desire - to have what I want become what He wants for me!
