Short Story: Prayer
Life. It is where we live, learn, lose, and love. Our test here is to see when all of this is upon us, the large and the small stuff; who do we turn to? Do we turn to Heavenly Father in prayer or turn to ourselves/others? However, answering this question is up to you. This is how it worked for me.
Two days ago at work, my mind was racing with the challenges and problems flashing up like YouTube short: answering difficult emails and texts, finding answers to help mend relationships, getting doctor appointments for family members, remembering to pick up meds, finding out about insurance, are the kids okay? Have I texted them today? These issues were swirling in my head, and I had to focus on teaching.
A simple yet powerful thought hit me, “Did you say a prayer?” Wait, hold up. Did I ask myself that? I thought I was praying….maybe I was just listing problems. The world stopped for two seconds, and I saw students swirling in and out of my classroom for the third period, and I was just about to start my reading class. I wondered, “Am I out of the habit of praying like that? I used to pray all the time. Where am I headed?”
I reflected on that moment, and my mind flashed back to seven days ago. During prep period, I found myself on my knees in my classroom, asking for forgiveness and understanding. I smiled…I still pray, but I think this was a gentle reminder to do so more often, and that is what I might be out of the habit of.
I started the class warm-up, and we separated into reading groups. As I walked my students to the cafeteria, suddenly, my phone vibrated. I looked down, and it was a text from a group chat about Ward Choir. The message was about learning a new hymn that the Church “just dropped” called “Close as a Quiet Prayer.”
What a piercing, gentle whisper from the Spirit. I instantly prayed for forgiveness and started my class. I took a moment to listen to the new hymn during the passing period. A child sang it, and the words were arranged in a powerful, gentle way for the Lord to reach us.
My questions stopped, my tears flowed, and my heart opened again to the scripture in D&C 10:5, “Pray always, that you may come off conqueror; yea, that you may conquer Satan, and that you may escape the hands of the servants of Satan that do uphold his work.”
Following the busy day at work, I listened to the song as I drove home. I listened to it three times and allowed it to penetrate my heart. Then, the busyness of home took over.
Later, in a quiet moment, I looked at the hymn words and the scripture reference. In Alma 33: 1-11, Alma quotes Zenos (this is a prophet who I would love to meet) in Heaven. Zenos taught us to pray in the following locations (mind you that these locations might be physical places or feelings of trials. The point is that we can pray anywhere, at any time, for anything):
Your wilderness (any place of trials or physical wilderness)
Your field (work, employment, jos)
Your house (where you live)
Your closet (your private, quiet place–for me, it's the car)
Your congregations (in crowds: churches, concerts, the mall, a classroom, etc.)
When you feel “cast out” (sin has separated you from God, or when you think others have cast you out).
The gentle melody of the new hymn started in my mind and again. I also remembered D&C 10:5, “pray always.” I closed my eyes and thanked Heavenly Father for this week's sweet teaching. I vowed to rebuild that habit of that quiet conversation with Heavenly Father again and seek it first. Just like the lovely hymn, “Close as a Quiet Prayer,” Jesus and Heavenly Father are there for us to get into the quiet prayer habit and find more light and hope in our lives!
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