As we pray in the manner we have been taught, we can avoid the lack of personal growth and the self-induced loneliness that are natural consequences of a failure to respond to His invitation. The Savior taught us by both word and example that we don’t have to be alone while in the unfamiliar surroundings of this mortal probation. ESV Journaling Bible, Interleaved Edition--Imitation leather with summer garden design, ESV Study Bible, Large Print, TruTone, Mahogany with Trellis Design, ESV Holy Bible for Kids, Softcover Economy Edition, ESV Student Study Bible, TruTone, Navy Blue, ESV My Creative Bible for Girls, Hardcover, Purple Glitter. ! (B)Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and (C)purify your hearts, (D)you double-minded. Praying is not only a commandment but also one of the greatest of all privileges given to the sons and daughters of God. 8 (A)Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. He is near. “And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. The Restoration of the gospel in our present dispensation was not initiated until the Prophet Joseph Smith sought answers through solemn, personal prayer. “For the Lord hath heard thy prayers, and hath judged of thy righteousness, and hath sent me to declare unto thee that thou mayest rejoice; and that thou mayest declare unto thy people, that they may also be filled with joy” (Mosiah 3:3–4). King Benjamin, the great Book of Mormon prophet-king, is an example of a righteous man who wanted to teach his people how to live in such a way as to ultimately receive the blessings of eternal life. He did all in his power to set a righteous example; and the Lord not only heard his sincere prayers but also sent an angel, who said: “Awake, and hear the words which I shall tell thee; for behold, I am come to declare unto you the glad tidings of great joy. On one occasion in the Americas, we find the resurrected Savior surrounded by little children who were encircled by a multitude of faithful Saints on bended knee. After a night of worry and restlessness, he arose at daylight and repaired to a cave on the shore of the North Sea. Our natural tendency as we come to know and love the Lord is a desire to express gratitude for these abundant blessings. What do the examples of such leaders as Abraham, King Benjamin, and the Prophet Joseph Smith teach us about prayer? Children of God have many reasons to pray to their Heavenly Father. He probably wasn’t referring so much to his physical situation, which was deplorable, as he was to the fact that his family and his people were scattered in the wilderness and that the wonderful cause of Zion seemed to be stalemated. From his own account we read: “In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself: What is to be done? The following questions are for that purpose or for personal reflection: What does the Savior’s example teach us about to whom, how, and why we pray? He clearly taught that we are to pray to our Heavenly Father. English Standard Version (ESV). There is solace in knowing that He hears and that He cares, but we must take advantage of His invitation to call upon Him. Our Heavenly Father loves us and has a much greater vision than we do regarding those things that will give us eternal happiness. The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Jesus instructed the Nephites that they should “pray … unto the Father, always in my name” (3 Ne. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. He went on to say: “Great testimonies have come in those moments. Through the scriptures, through prophets, or by the influence of the Spirit, does He not invite us to turn 25 degrees to the left or to the right where He can keep us safe and out of harm’s way, when our natural instincts would take us in another direction and oftentimes into sorrow or suffering? October 2020 General Conference Activity Packet. The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Download and print this scripture, "Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you. “And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. How can we more effectively respond to the divine invitation, “Draw near unto me”? 18:21). “And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? It is just such experience as that which came to my father in the north of Scotland when he prayed to God to remove from him the spirit of gloom and despondency that overwhelmed him. D&C 88:63.". This is a FREE download. If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it? It would seem awkward and lacking in respect to ask for more if we have failed to thank the Lord for blessings already received. Writing to the Colossians, the Apostle Paul instructed, “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him” (Col. 3:17). The Lord is not pleased when we fail to express gratitude. It gives great comfort to the soul to know that “He is our Father” and that “He is accessible to us.”. Turn to John 12, John 12:32, and again He uses the same word: 'And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me' - the same word. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. The original post on Instagram can be found by clicking here. Clare Middlemiss [1967], 25). There is great security in knowing that we can communicate with our Heavenly Father and that He will hear our sincere prayers. 6:8). What are some of the blessings in our lives for which we can give thanks to God? He said: “Great events have happened in this Church because of such communion, because of the responsiveness of the soul to the inspiration of the Almighty. With our prayers we need to indicate, “Thy will be done,” and truly mean it. 3:7; [Luke 15:20]. You will find that when these most inspirational moments come to you, you are alone with yourself and your God. I strive each day to draw nearer to my Savior. From my vantage point I could see that approximately 15 feet ahead he was going to run into an obstacle that would cause him to lose quite a bit of travel time. …. President David O. McKay reminded us of the importance of communication with our Heavenly Father, even while we are being seriously challenged. I thought, Is it not so with us and the Lord? Posted on the @LDSMaeserArt Instagram account on 4/17/2016. Download and print this scripture, "Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you. You shall give to the Levitical priests who are from the offspring of Zadok, who draw near to Me to minister to Me,’ declares the Lord God, ‘a young bull for a sin offering. Copyright © 2020, Maeser Art. Often we reflect on the innumerable blessings that have come to us and can’t wait until we can just be alone and express thanks, without any particular thought of further requests. Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. As children of God, we are dependent upon Him for all that we have, even the very breath we take (see Mosiah 2:21). "Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you" Doctrine & Covenants 88:63 What brings you Nearer to God? Hence every prayer should be offered to our Heavenly Father in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ. ( B ) Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and ( C ) purify your hearts, ( D ) you double-minded.