How reliable is prayer to you?

[Sicily510]

Thank you everyone who has taken the time to reply!

I must say I was surprised by some of the replies. It never occurred to me that I could possibly rely too much on God. But as I think about it I am trying to do the same thing, help my children learn that they are capable of making decisions on their own without asking me for permission or for guidance although I am ready to offer advice when they want it.

Some of the things I pray for seem to me to be in line with the gospel, such as asking for help in switching my career to one that would allow me to work from home. The reason I ask for this is because I am divorced with custody of my four children and I believe that I could help my children more if I could have more time to raise them and not have to pay for others to watch them and have them pick up attitudes and phrases best not to have nor use. I'm willing to take a dramatic pay cut to be able to work from home but anything I come up with requires time to do and/or money to start up for which I can't do while working full time.

In many aspects of the gospel my faith is strong, but where there is doubt and/or lack of understanding I grow frustrated. I still pray often, in spite of my recent frustrations with prayer. From your replies I see there is so much available for me to study and believe that a focus on that and the nature of God should be of much benefit to me.

I don't think anyone has relied too much on our Heavenly Father, as much as we put our trust in him we will be able to make decisions accordingly to his teachings and gospels. I think it's necesarry that we rely he's omnipresent, and as we live our life in line with him he will continue to help and comfort. Trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ examples can only strengthen our faith to become better individuals with qualities that is conveyed through our everyday lives. We live in a very very corrupted time and to think of how the scriptures talk of the iniquities back than we still face to this day. The scriptures shares parables and many excerpts that reminds those who are tentative that history is repeating itself in a cycle. Evolution was since the day Adam and Eve bit the fruit of mortality and life. We as individuals are destined to make choices in regards to our heavenly fathers teachings or in regards to unbelief and apostasy. If we seek change that would be to perfecting ourselves in righteousness. We're already accustomed to the adversary as sad as it is, however, those who seek after righeousness have found the true meaning of evolution.

Doubt is real in all things that we come about in life, we see doubt in many who are in politics, schools, communities, and ourselves. Doubt is what the adversary flourishes in, however, hope is what the adversary blinds many from. Hope is a key benefactor to living we hope to live in a christlike manner so that our children can grow with a firm foundation in the gospel. I believe that anyone who has grown spiritually in line with the Holy Spirit and gospel are able to reap the works of our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

Article Of Faith:

13. We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

Prayer is as reliable as our faith, hope, and love for our Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ.

[Guest]

Some of the things I pray for seem to me to be in line with the gospel, such as asking for help in switching my career to one that would allow me to work from home. The reason I ask for this is because I am divorced with custody of my four children and I believe that I could help my children more if I could have more time to raise them and not have to pay for others to watch them and have them pick up attitudes and phrases best not to have nor use. I'm willing to take a dramatic pay cut to be able to work from home but anything I come up with requires time to do and/or money to start up for which I can't do while working full time.

Things like these that happen to me, I pray for understanding. Your staying home for your children is a noble desire. But, it might be that God has different plans for you.

Okay, just from my experience...

It is different for everybody but I just want to tell you that from my experience, working from home is not the answer to the problem you presented if this was in my house. I work from home - coming on 6 years now - as a programmer. My husband works and we have only 2 children. The only time I can spend on my work at home is when the kids are in school. That's from 9:AM - 2:00PM. 5 hours per day, 5 days a week minus things such as holidays, teacher planning days, early release days, spring break, summer break, sick kids, etc. If I work more than that, my husband and I do the shifts or I hire a sitter. If I was a single parent, my work-at-home will not be enough to support my children.

What everybody always forgets - and that's including my husband - is that just because I am at home does not mean that I can do home stuff when I am working. It really bugs me when my husband tells me, oh, the cable guy is coming over to fix the TV... you know, just because I'm working at home doesn't mean I have the time to show the cable guy around. Or, the one that occurs the most - "I have basketball tonite and I'm out of basketball shorts, can you run the wash?". Erm... no. I'm working. It took me a long time - at least 6 months - to learn discipline to separate my home office from the house. When the sink is full of dirty dishes, I can't concentrate on my job - I have to get those dishes washed first. So that, by the time I'm ready to work, it's already noon! So, my house has to be spic-and-span so that I can pass by the kitchen on my way to the home office and not get distracted.

But really, the only difference between working at the office and working at home is the location. Your energy, your attention, your concentration remains at work and not at home. If your energy/attention/concentration is divided then you are jipping your work. So, basically, the only advantage to me working at home is so that I can be close to the children if they need something - like having to go pick them up at school when they get sick - and saving up on gas money, travel time, clothes, and work incidentals (like the candy box the workmate brought over, etc.). There's much to be said about going to work in the clown outfit you wore to your kids' spring breakfast event at school... One thing is certain - working from home will not give you much extra time to raise children.

Okay, that's just from my experience.

Let me relate another story a Catholic priest gave in a sermon a looooonnnggg time ago when I was a little kid. I still haven't forgotten it.

There was this guy who wanted to please God. He prayed to God asking Him what He wants him to do and God replied, "Out on that field is a rock. I need you to try to move the rock." The guy was full of faith and love for God that he woke up at the crack of dawn to move the rock. The rock is very big. He pushed and pushed and pushed but the rock never moved. He pushed until sundown but the rock stayed where it was. Before going to bed, he asked God again, "God, did I understand you correctly, you want me to move that rock.". And he got the same reply. His faith is very strong, therefore, he woke up again in the crack of dawn to move the rock.

A week passed and the rock still did not budge. He was starting to doubt. He prayed again to ask God what he was supposed to do and God gave the same reply. So, he continues to push on the rock.

A month goes by and he is starting to doubt. He prayed harder this time, "God, please help me, I cannot move this rock". God gave him the same reply.

A year goes by and the rock still has not moved. His faith is really shaken.

Finally, he breaks down and cries and in complete despair he cries out to God, "God, I am a failure. I cannot move the rock. Grant me the understanding that I may continue to work in faith." And finally God replied, "Look at your arms, they are corded with muscle. Look at your legs, they are stout as tree trunks. Look at your stature, you have grown in great strength. And look at yourself, you have faced a great challenge and never wavered. You are who I need you to be and now you are ready for my mission. Now step aside so I can move the rock."

[mrmarklin]

My experience is that my prayers are answered in time context.

If I pray for inspiration to teach my class, I receive that inspiration almost instantly, after all I need it now!

But if I'm praying very generally or about a long term goal, then that answer will manifest itself over a much longer period of time.

Just like the traders on Wall Street, we humans are very impatient, and expect instant response, but of course that does not always occur. Some things require a lot af fasting and prayer.

[Magen_Avot]

I'd be lost without prayer. I believe that when we ask HF questions he has an answer as we ask Him, at that moment. Sometimes IMHO it seems I/others may not be able to hear it at that moment. I drive for an hour to/from work and lately have been using that time in prayer over all my worries/frustrations/needs ect.

In my experience answers come as supportive feelings, or statements, encouragement to be patient with the issue or person or whatever. Many times I get just a hint about the actual question, and only rarely a direct answer. But I have never been without an answer for many years when I have asked. Most times I pray, thank and ponder without asking in a way that, um... requires(?) an answer. Occasionally, He breaks in with something important to say. I try to treat it like a real conversation but it's usually very personally validating.

I kinda feel we have to work out our problems but He provides us a sounding board and encouragement (as an example). I try not to limit Him by my own expectations or filters and sometimes discuss my own attitueds in hope of changing them if needed.

I guess I can go on, but I'm with those who say you can't pray too much,... usually. So I say keep it going. Work through your frustration while pondering in prayer and working things out with His influence. Be patient with Him and yourself.

[circusboy01]

I've done a lot of praying that didn't get an answer. I always figure the fault is mine. Like maybe I should have spent more time studying scriptures and less time watching tv. Then there are times when I feel very strongly that my prayers were answered.

My niece had a baby girl last Wed. when the baby was about 4 hrs. old a nurse, or female doctor (My niece wasn't sure which.) came into the room. Took a look at the baby, said "that's a Downs baby" and walked out. My niece (Angie) told her mom (my sister) she called and told me WE all prayed. Not that the baby wouldn't have Downs. We had resigned ourselves to the fact that she did. We also prayed the Angie and Danny would be strong, and be good parents no matter how things turn out.

I called my best friend (He Baptized me) asked if him and his would pray. Naturally he said yes.

Yesterday my sister called. They did measurements on the baby (Meleah) and everything was just as it should be. I guess there's differences in measurements between the eyes, and the nose, or the eyes and the ears on a Downs baby. Today we are waiting for a blood test. It might show that Meleah dos not have Downs after all, or if she does it will be a very mild case. Now. Did things turn out the way they did because that nurse/doctor who came into Angies room did not know what she was talking about.or did Heavenly Father answer our prayers? I think He answered our prayers. Especially mine, because I prayed that the nurse/doctor wouldn't know what she was talking about. ;0)

Brother Ray

[ZionsRodeVos]

I can't believe I didn't keep track of this thread. I was considering starting another thread about prayer since I haven't made much progress with this but wanted to make sure I didn't say the same thing and I would have.

Thanks again to everyone who replied.

My problem is that I don't always remember things, just as I forgot about much of what was in this thread although it came back to me as I read your replies again.

Since I posted I feel that one of the prayers that I had offered a lot may have finally been answered even though it was not in a way I expected. Basically, I had been trying to know when the right time to move came and I don't think I ever felt the right time had come although it may have simply been that I didn't want to initiate the upheaval. Anyway, I was on a month to month lease and the group that manages the place gave me just over 30 day notice to move out. It was a difficult time for us as we ended up living in a hotel for about a month but finally everything came together and I was able to buy a house with more space than we had before and only my youngest had to change schools which has turned out to be a good thing for her.