In a time of trial, comfort in prayer at home
Sunday, March 15th was our first at-home worship service instead of the regular chapel gatherings. Marcia and I, with a caring daughter and son-in-law and a young adult grandson gathered as family to pray, remember our Savior, and share a video message of love, comfort and peace from church President Russell M. Nelson.
Then the kids served a delicious family dinner and to me it felt as if we were counting our many blessings in spite of temporary challenges.
Recently in church one of our faithful Gig Harbor members, Brittany Bergeson, shared an inspiring message on prayer, declaring “I know that God hears and answers our prayers, and I testify that just the act of praying can change us. I have a testimony that the heavens are not closed. He has not left us alone! Not only does He counsel and lead our church through a living prophet, Russell M. Nelson, but He will counsel us through personal revelation.”
Sister Bergeson is serving as a leader in the youth ministry in our area, but spoke to our congregation humbly as “a daughter of God, a wife and a mother.”
“I am so thankful for the guidance and direction of the Spirit in my home as we seek for direction in our family,” she said. “I am grateful I can communicate with my Heavenly Father thru prayer and He can communicate with me thru personal revelation.”
Sister Bergerson’s message caused me to consider how wondrous it is that the God of heaven and earth invites us to address Him as “Father” and to call upon Him in prayer. He is not unknowable or unapproachable. On the contrary, Jesus prayed, “this is life eternal that they may know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (KJV John 17:3).
At the end of his sinless mortal life, Christ knelt in prayer in a garden outside Jerusalem’s wall, pleading with his Father for strength to work out the infinite and eternal Atonement for all of God’s children. There, in an olive grove, Mary’s Son bowed under the most crushing burden ever borne by mortal man, and in prayer and agony took upon himself the sins of all men on conditions of repentance. It was for this very purpose that God’s own Son, who bore the image of the Father, had come down from heaven to be like us and to save us.
We may not know but a few of the words that were spoken in the garden of Gethsemane, but that prayer stands preeminent above all prayers ever uttered and it was on our behalf. Only a God could do what Jesus Christ did in that lonely garden, on Calvary’s cruel cross, and in rising from the tomb on that first Easter morning.
Three years earlier, at the beginning of his ministry, when Jesus began to establish his church, “He went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God,” after which “he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles” (Luke 6:12-13).
Near the end, his great intercessory prayer found in John 17 was offered on behalf of the Twelve who would bear the responsibilities of his church after his crucifixion.
Even in his godly powers Jesus Christ felt the need for constant communion with the Eternal Father and in his many prayers he sought to do the will of the Father always. We should too.
We pray to the Father, as the Savior taught, either vocally or by forming the thoughts in the mind, and always in the name of Jesus Christ, the mediator through whom our prayers are most often answered.
We can pray any place and any time with the promise of peace and reassurance if we will come with a broken heart and a contrite spirit to call upon our Heavenly Father in prayer. He knows us by name, loves us, and hears our prayers.
In the words of Sister Bergeson, “I know that through the Holy Ghost, Our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ can comfort, guide, reveal and testify to each of us!”
Apostle Jeffrey R. Holland, a special witness of Jesus Christ today, expressed this truth and encouragement: “My brothers and sisters, the first great commandment of all eternity is to love God with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength--that’s the first great commandment. But the first great truth of all eternity is that God loves us with all of His heart, might, mind, and strength. That love is the foundation stone of eternity, and it should be the foundation stone of our daily life.”
On Faith columnist Alfred Gunn, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at Gig Harbor, can be reached by email at alf.gunn@gmail.com.
This story was originally published March 24, 2020 at 12:00 AM.