Prayer

Alma 34:17-28 outlines a pretty good list of things I can pray for, which really gives me no excuse for sputtering out a 30-second prayer!

• I can pray for Mercy. After all, it is His mercy that will save me: Save me from grief. Save me from the effects of sin. Save me from the natural woman that I am, so I can become who He wants me to be - more like Him.

• I can pray for Humility. Humility means being obedient; having a broken heart; being repentant.  It also means not being puffed up with all of those unwanted, self-indulging pride calories.  It means not being offended and being slow to anger.  Humility also means taking counsel from the Lord, not demanding His signs to be MY answers!

• I can pray for my Family, Loved Ones, Friends, People within the realms of my stewardship (leaders, visiting teaching sisters, primary children).  I can even pray people who I don’t know, but feel drawn to by heart.

• I can pray for the Goings-on in my Household. What this means is that Heavenly Father is interested in every aspect of my life. He cares and wants to help me in: Financial Matters. Spiritual Matters. Communication Matters (or, in my case this week, Miscommunicated matters). Relationship Matters. Even in the business of Lost Keys because they also matter . . .

• I can pray for Righteousness for it gives me Power against the devil!

• I can pray for Progress.

• I can pray for Prosperity.

And in all of these, my heart needs to be FILLED (24/7) with prayerful thoughts and desires – for my welfare and the welfare of others!

For, as Amulek cautions, "if ye turn away the needy, and the naked, and visit not the sick and afflicted, and impart of your substance, if ye have, to those who stand in need—I say unto you, if ye do not any of these things, behold, your prayer is vain, and availeth you nothing, and ye are as hypocrites who do deny the faith."

Perhaps the only thing worse than sputtering out a 30-second prayer because I think I don't have anything to say, is being a hypocrite.

I don't want to be a hypocrite.