The Power of Prayer

Before I get started with my busy day, weekend, and entire next week I have to take just a minute to record some of the thoughts I've had the last few days and especially this morning as I was driving to work. I'm teaching the sharing time this Sunday and have known for month or two. As always, I've been prayerful about what I should teach the children. Almost immediately I've had the feeling I should teach them to pray. Prayer is something that I have a very very strong conviction of. It was on my mission that I really learned how to pray, and those lessons have sustained me every day since then. I can almost remember the exact day I realized my prayers go past the ceiling. I knew they always did, but this time I REALLY knew. That day I learned how to communicate with God and my life has never been the same since. My relationship with my Father in Heaven has grown stronger ever since then and I LOVE talking to Him. I was just telling my mother-in-law the other day how specific He's been with me in His answers throughout my life. And how those answers have led me and guided me and never made me second guess my decisions. I have such a strong conviction of our ability to really talk to Him and His willingness and desire to speak directly to us. This is the reason for the quote I put at the top of my blog. That quote has been my favorite for so long. There is nothing more comforting than knowing that my Heavenly Father loves me, is pleased with me, and is guiding me in every decision I make. He loves everyone of His children and knows everything about them. He knows every struggle, every temptation, every heartache, every doubt, every joy, every success, every pain, every weakness, and most importantly every strength. My heart literally throbs at the thought of how much He loves us and how merciful He is to us. He so forgiving and loving and involved in our lives when we let Him. I can't think of anything more important I could teach those children than to pray. I don't know where I would be without it. I recently read a book called Prayer by several different authors and there was one part that stuck out to me the most. It said that often we are shaped by the people we associate with, they influence us and sort of help make us who we are. So it makes sense that if we want to become more like Him we should spend as much time as we can with Him. I'm so thankful for the love and guidance I receive each day through my prayers. And I especailly love how the spirit even guides and directs me on the things I should pray for. There is a real power in prayer!