Power in FAITH

I attended a Women's Conference about  POWER in FAITH and POWER in COURAGE.  

Our speakers,  taught an important concept that  I needed, and that is that having faith doesn't mean we have faith in a specific OUTCOME necessarily, but our faith is in the the Lord REGARDLESS of the outcome. That is so vital because if that outcome doesn't come to play, if our faith is centered in Christ and not the outcome, we don't lose our testimonies over it. I really liked that thought.

A great scripture insight was taught: The parable of the bread and the stone in Matthew 7.   The principle is  that the Lord wants to give us everything--the best blessings and the best gifts, but that we also need to ask for it. The bread symbolized the BEST gift or the BEST blessing.   If we ask for what we want the most (bread)  He is not going to give us a stone. We need to trust in the Lord to know that HE WANTS to give us bread. He is not going to give us a stone if we ask for bread.

 

Find out what is the RIGHT  thing and pray for what you need and what you want.  She commented that the tragedy isn't in  not getting it, the tragedy is when we  stop praying for it, or when we stop wanting the righteous desires of our hearts.

I love this scripture illustrating this principle:

Hebrews 4:16 "Come BOLDLY unto the throne of grace and ASK in time of need"

It is not only OK to ask for what we really really want, but to trust that the Lord WANTS to bless us with it. But we have to ask. She called this intentionally praying.

We need to have intentional prayers.

Following of coarse this counsel given:

Doctrine and Covenants 9:7-8: "But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.

But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong."

Praying for the "RIGHT" things  is a great concept.  But how do we know what is right when we want something so badly?  For me when I am in a situation when I really need a blessing, or want something very badly, I have to go back and really evaluate:

What I have FELT from the spirit? What has the spirit tried to TELL me?  What PROMISES of the Lord have I felt?  What are the righteous DESIRES of my heart?  What feels right to pray about?

 Then go forward in intentional faith praying for what we should pray about.  When we pray for the right blessings, it can change our life..and we will realize that prayer when accompanied with faith has a true POWER. 

"The fervent prayer of a righteous woman availeth much"

It reminds me of a time in my life when my husband and I wanted something very badly. It felt right. And we recieved that promise from the Lord through the spirit, that it was going to happen, it was only a matter of time.  During this time we exercised great faith in prayer as we prayed for what seemed the "right thing" and waiting on the Lord for it to happen.

It wasn't immediate, and although it did happen just as the Lord promised us it would, it wasn't easy.  But  we learned how to pray for the "right thing" and instead of thinking I don't deserve this, or I am asking for "too much", we prayed knowing the Lord  heard us and knowing He wanted it for us as much as we wanted it for ourselves.

Although we wanted a specific outcome, our faith was in the Lord, that He knew the right timing and His will be done regardless of the outcome.  That is a very hard thing to exercise faith in, but it is really our only choice because the Lord is ultimately in charge.

He knows all and sees all and stands at the door ready to give if we will just let Him in.

And remember, He comes bearing bread, not stones.

Finding Faith in an Empty Tank of Gas

When the Savior was on the earth He asked,

 "When the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8)

What is true faith?

 Faith is defined as "belief and trust in loyalty to God...firm belief in something for which there is no proof. We believe that faith is to hope for things which are not seen, but which are true...and our faith must be centered in Jesus Christ.

Faith is a power, not to just to be believed in, but to be lived.

Gospel Outcomes

Have you noticed your family or personal scripture study starting to slip?

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I know we have our moments.  Can I tell the difference?  Definitely yes.   

I bumped into a very interesting "study" that has made a difference in my motivation to read and have our family read. 

 It is found in the book Searching the Scriptures by Gene R. Cook. 

  -The Study-

Part 1:  Several years ago the Church did a study in which they interviewed hundreds of young men (also could work and be applied to young women) to discover:

 What determines their faithfulness in the gospel?
 

This is the list that the parents came up with which they named:

  "Gospel Outcomes"

This is what they most wanted for their boys (I apply this to the girls as well) 

1. Ordination to the Melchizedek Priesthood
2. Receive temple endowment
3. Serve a full-time Mission
4. Marry in the temple

[What does your list look like?]

Having young men who honor their priesthood, dress like they honor their priesthood, and are anxiously looking forward to holding the Melchizedek Priesthood is very important to young women who are also seeking these blessings. 

Part 2:  The boys were then grouped into two obvious categories...

1. Those who received these gospel outcomes &

2. Those who didn't

What made the difference?  Why did the boys in one category have the gospel outcomes their parents desired and the boys in the other category didn't?

What was the role of seminary? Peers? Church leaders? Family?

"The answer was strikingly simple that many struggled to comprehend it...

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Personal prayer and personal scripture study"

"Could it be that simple?

...That the young men and young women who pray and read their scriptures will have the gospel outcomes we all desire.

I believe in large measure that is so." 

Part 3Next question we all have as parents...

How do we get our kids to pray and  study the scriptures?

3 answers came back that they categorized under

Family Worship of God

"1. Have family prayer.  Show us a family that is having family prayer, and we'll show you a boy who is learning how to have his personal prayers.

2. Have family scripture study and Family Home Evening Show us a family that's regularly reading the scriptures together, and we'll show you a boy who's reading the scriptures on his own.

3. Teach and exemplify the Lord's values.  Somehow the values of the Lord have to transfer from one generation, the adults, to the young people.  The families that learn to do this are those that have gospel outcomes."
 

"The church helps and supports parents in their teaching, but the real battle is won in the home--the home is what asserts the greatest influence on our youth"

How important is family scripture reading?

How important is family prayer? 

 How important is the teaching and example of parents? 

They are vital

If we are consistent in these things, our children will be much more likely to read scriptures and to pray on their own-and when they do that they will be much more likely to receive their temple endowments, go on missions

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and be married in the temple"

_______________________________

 "A promise from the Lord"

"If we will begin or continue to faithfully read the scriptures as a family, the Lord will deliver us from bondage--it may not happen immediately, but in time, the Lord will answer our prayers."