Alma and Amulek have the unenviable obligation to preach repentance to the hardened and unresponsive people in Ammonihah. Amulek states that it is the prayers of the righteous that is the only thing that stands between them and destruction. He notes that they will soon kick those people out, and when they do they'll be ready for destruction. That destruction, as we know, came swiftly and decisively - the entire city was destroyed in one day.
So what do effect do your prayers have?
What effect do your cries in the wee hours of the morning have on wayward children?
What effect does the spiritual effort and wrestling with God and one's conscience have on the world at large?
What difference does it make that you or I pray for each other?
Much.
God, in the beginning, gave us each our agency and commanded us that we must repent and choose Him. By so doing, He has promised us peace and prosperity in this life and eternal life in the next. Sounds like a win-win to me...
By kneeling to pray, or even just the quietly whispered expression of gratitude, humility, or despair, we are acknowledging His place in our lives. We are showing that we are abandoning our own selfish desires for Him and suborning our will to His. Really, if you think about the attendant blessings that come as a result of this kind of obedience, prayer should never be difficult nor far from our thoughts.
What about family prayer? Sometimes it can feel like it has become a rote ritual - morning and night, day after day. But there is something in the continuity, the discipline, and the kneeling together, that inspires and motivates. It gives children an example and an anchor for their day. Sure, our children should pray on their own. They should pray throughout the day. But the action of kneeling as a family brings power and unity that is otherwise absent. There is nothing more powerful in the world than the family united in prayer.
Amulek speaks more on this topic later, so we'll revisit it. I just want you to know that I know that there is power in prayer - power that cleanses, strengthens, and brings us closer to the Lord. What else could we possibly want?
So what do effect do your prayers have?
What effect do your cries in the wee hours of the morning have on wayward children?
What effect does the spiritual effort and wrestling with God and one's conscience have on the world at large?
What difference does it make that you or I pray for each other?
Much.
God, in the beginning, gave us each our agency and commanded us that we must repent and choose Him. By so doing, He has promised us peace and prosperity in this life and eternal life in the next. Sounds like a win-win to me...
By kneeling to pray, or even just the quietly whispered expression of gratitude, humility, or despair, we are acknowledging His place in our lives. We are showing that we are abandoning our own selfish desires for Him and suborning our will to His. Really, if you think about the attendant blessings that come as a result of this kind of obedience, prayer should never be difficult nor far from our thoughts.
What about family prayer? Sometimes it can feel like it has become a rote ritual - morning and night, day after day. But there is something in the continuity, the discipline, and the kneeling together, that inspires and motivates. It gives children an example and an anchor for their day. Sure, our children should pray on their own. They should pray throughout the day. But the action of kneeling as a family brings power and unity that is otherwise absent. There is nothing more powerful in the world than the family united in prayer.
Amulek speaks more on this topic later, so we'll revisit it. I just want you to know that I know that there is power in prayer - power that cleanses, strengthens, and brings us closer to the Lord. What else could we possibly want?
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