Prayer
Today I was able to attend institute again after not being there for three weeks, and I realized that I have really missed it. One week the carpets at the church were being cleaned so class was cancelled, the next week my ride had a funeral to go to and I wasn't feeling well so I skipped it, and last week our teacher was sick so she cancelled it. Because of the cancelled classes, we've gotten a bit behind schedule, but today we covered Alma chapters 31 through 42.
The main theme that I got from today's lesson, was prayer: how, where and what to pray for.
1. The Zoramites (Alma 31:8-23) The Zoramites met once a week. In the center of their synagogue, they placed a high stand, the top of which could hold only one person, and one at a time, each person would mount the stand, raise their hands to the heavens, and recite a set prayer in a loud voice. The prayer which they recited was proud boasting, thanking God for choosing them, for making them better than other people, denying the existence of Christ - or even a need for a Christ. After every one had said this same prayer they would go home and not speak of God (or pray) again until the following week. Poor people, including the workers who built the synagogue were denied entry.
2. Alma (Alma 31:24-38, 32-34) As Alma and his companions set out to teach the Zoramites, Alma offered a prayer which sets a stark contrast against the prayer of the Zoramites. Alma's prayer was heartfelt and sincere, humble and sorrowful, as he sought the Lord's help in bringing his brethren to Christ. As Alma taught the poor people who had been cast out of the churches, he taught them about faith, (our teacher felt she didn't have time to go into that chapter (32), but encouraged us to study it on our own) but also about prayer. Alma taught them that they could pray in their fields, in their homes, in their closets, or wherever they may be, and that they weren't restricted to only being able to pray at church. He taught that God hears our sincere prayers wherever we may be.
Alma also taught the Zoramites what they should be praying for. He taught them to pray for their flocks, for their crops, and for their households, that they would be prosperous. He encouraged them to pray for strength against the power of their enemies. Te told them to pray continually not only for their own welfare, but also for the welfare of the people around them, both temporally and spiritually. Later, Alma told his son Helaman that he should always direct his thoughts to the Lord, wherever he was, or whatever he may be doing. (Alma 37:36-37) Alma also warns that if a person prays for these things, but then does nothing to help or serve others, that his prayer is vain.
The thought I came away with from the discussion in class today, was that God wants us to pray about whatever things are going on in our lives. He wants to help us with our difficulties with our children, or our boss, or with whatever issues we may have in our lives, but he frequently waits until we ask for that help. He wants us to humbly realize that we need God's help, and that we can't do everything on our own. But at the same time, he wants us to do all in our power to meet our own needs and the needs of those around us. It is often through our hands that he answers the prayers of his children, and when we aren't willing to help, it makes it more difficult for him to answer those prayers. God also wants us to recognize His hand in our lives. He wants us to thank him for the blessings that we receive from day to day - not in a thoughtless recitation repeated day after day, but sincerely and thoughtfully recognizing God's blessings in our lives each day. I think that if we are watchful for those blessings, we will realize that we are more greatly blessed than we had known before.
The main theme that I got from today's lesson, was prayer: how, where and what to pray for.
1. The Zoramites (Alma 31:8-23) The Zoramites met once a week. In the center of their synagogue, they placed a high stand, the top of which could hold only one person, and one at a time, each person would mount the stand, raise their hands to the heavens, and recite a set prayer in a loud voice. The prayer which they recited was proud boasting, thanking God for choosing them, for making them better than other people, denying the existence of Christ - or even a need for a Christ. After every one had said this same prayer they would go home and not speak of God (or pray) again until the following week. Poor people, including the workers who built the synagogue were denied entry.
2. Alma (Alma 31:24-38, 32-34) As Alma and his companions set out to teach the Zoramites, Alma offered a prayer which sets a stark contrast against the prayer of the Zoramites. Alma's prayer was heartfelt and sincere, humble and sorrowful, as he sought the Lord's help in bringing his brethren to Christ. As Alma taught the poor people who had been cast out of the churches, he taught them about faith, (our teacher felt she didn't have time to go into that chapter (32), but encouraged us to study it on our own) but also about prayer. Alma taught them that they could pray in their fields, in their homes, in their closets, or wherever they may be, and that they weren't restricted to only being able to pray at church. He taught that God hears our sincere prayers wherever we may be.
Alma also taught the Zoramites what they should be praying for. He taught them to pray for their flocks, for their crops, and for their households, that they would be prosperous. He encouraged them to pray for strength against the power of their enemies. Te told them to pray continually not only for their own welfare, but also for the welfare of the people around them, both temporally and spiritually. Later, Alma told his son Helaman that he should always direct his thoughts to the Lord, wherever he was, or whatever he may be doing. (Alma 37:36-37) Alma also warns that if a person prays for these things, but then does nothing to help or serve others, that his prayer is vain.
The thought I came away with from the discussion in class today, was that God wants us to pray about whatever things are going on in our lives. He wants to help us with our difficulties with our children, or our boss, or with whatever issues we may have in our lives, but he frequently waits until we ask for that help. He wants us to humbly realize that we need God's help, and that we can't do everything on our own. But at the same time, he wants us to do all in our power to meet our own needs and the needs of those around us. It is often through our hands that he answers the prayers of his children, and when we aren't willing to help, it makes it more difficult for him to answer those prayers. God also wants us to recognize His hand in our lives. He wants us to thank him for the blessings that we receive from day to day - not in a thoughtless recitation repeated day after day, but sincerely and thoughtfully recognizing God's blessings in our lives each day. I think that if we are watchful for those blessings, we will realize that we are more greatly blessed than we had known before.
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