Talking with My Father...

This evening as I have spent a little time in preparation for my day tomorrow with my kiddos, I have experienced some very powerful feelings.

Each month for our homeschooling, I change our thoughts, scriptures, values, and devotional themes.  As I looked up what this month's Primary theme was, I was moved because it truly spoke to me.  Usually I love what we are covering, okay I always love what we are covering, but not always do I FEEL moved as I did this evening. 

This is possibly a result of having spent so many hours this weekend listening to General Conference.  I was touched by the talks and was pricked a couple of times as I listened to the counsel to PRAY.  There are so many references that I will not even begin to go into them.  This will be a matter of study for me over the next several months.  The point being, I am very poor at prayer.  I know that I have written of this in the past. 
It is not that I do not pray, it is simply that I do not pray and ASK for anything that I stand in need of. 
I pray for others,
I pray to express gratitude,
but rarely do I pray earnestly for the things that I should be praying for. 
I do ask for guidance and I ask for inspiration, in addition to that I ask for His Spirit to be with me...but I fail to ask for help during my trials and struggles.

Well...after the talks and after my preparation tonight for my kiddos...I can see that I have some serious work ahead of me.

Not so sure why I don't ask for what I really need...
I know He wishes to help me,
I guess I just thought that if He felt I should be blessed with what I need or want He'd just go on ahead and do it...
BUT it's looking like I'm gonna have to start saying it out loud and asking Him for the help that I need. 
He will allow me to exercise my own agency,
He will allow me to hang on forever,
He will allow me to continue being stubborn while I try to figure it all out on my own. 
But I have no doubt that He'd much rather answer my prayers if only there were a prayer there to answer.



Below are some of the amazing things I came across tonight in my preparation.  So grateful that I have all these kiddos to prepare for, cause heaven knows I'd probably never get around to doing this if it were just for me. 

The Theme, Scripture, Focus and additional scriptures are all hanging in my classroom ready to "present" to my family tomorrow...

October Theme:
Prayer Is Reverent Communication Between God and Me

October Scripture:
"If any of you lack wisom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him." James 1:5

October FOCUS:
Personal Prayers

“No divine commandment has been more frequently repeated than the commandment to pray in the name of
the Lord Jesus Christ”
(Marion G. Romney, in Conference Report, Oct. 1979, 20; or Ensign, Nov. 1979, 16).

1 John 5:14 "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.”

Jeremiah 33:3 "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not."

Matthew 7:7 "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."

The scriptures tell us what we should pray for.

1. We should pray for the companionship of the Holy Ghost (see 3 Nephi 19:9 ; Moroni 4:3 ).

2. We should pray for forgiveness of our sins (see Joseph Smith—History 1:28–29 ).

3. We should ask for strength to resist temptation and overcome opposition (see Alma 34:23 ; D&C 10:5 ; Matthew 26:41 ).

4. Husbands should pray for their wives and children (see 3 Nephi 18:21 ; Alma 34:21, 27 ).

5. We should pray for all people—both righteous and wicked, friend and enemy (see Numbers 21:7 ; Matthew 5:44 ; Enos 1:11–14 ).

6. We should petition the Lord concerning our crops, herds, fields, and flocks (see Alma 34:20, 24–25 ). "

There are so many more wonderful scriptures on prayer...so many words spoken just this weekend during General Conference...but I will start here, I will do my best to teach my children these principles and more importantly I hope to teach them by my example ~ (this has been lacking in the past!)

I am grateful that I have a Father in Heaven that is patient and understanding...that knows who I am and why I am the way I am. 

I am looking forward to having some amazing conversations with Him!