Praying vs. Saying a Prayer. Praying for Charity

[Guest]

This is a common phenomenon.  We kneel or sit and we fold our arms or clasp our hands.  We verbalize some of the same things that we are grateful for and things we feel we need or others may need.  But too often, at least for me, my heart is not in it.  Yet, still, I've found some of those prayers are answered.

Over the past couple of years, I've been praying for charity.  And I've encouraged my whole family to do the same.  But just in the past month or so, I've been making an effort to really connect with the Lord as I do so.  This was with the hope that I could have a credible claim to "praying for charity with all the energy of soul."  The results have been remarkable.  I don't say that in CAPS.  But it is genuinely remarkable -- as in: Hmmm... that's interesting.

• I've noticed myself being able to actually listen to people as they talk.  I usually have such a short attention span that I simply can't listen for long.  But I can listen now.
• I've also noticed that I'm looking for the needs of others and trying to figure out a way to satisfy those needs.
• I've noticed an effort to be less judgmental, more accepting of others' faults, and more aware of my own.
• I've noticed that I'm less demanding, more giving.

Edited November 13, 2018 by Guest

[Tyme]

It seems every time I pray for a personal improvement I get a trial that improves me. I’m sorta scared to pray for personal improvement. It ends up being worth it, though. That’s kinda good you don’t get a trial thrown at you every time you pray for personal improvement. 

[SilentOne]

15 hours ago, Tyme said:

It seems every time I pray for a personal improvement I get a trial that improves me. I’m sorta scared to pray for personal improvement. It ends up being worth it, though. That’s kinda good you don’t get a trial thrown at you every time you pray for personal improvement. 

You reminded me of the story at the beginning of Elder Eyring's talk in the April 2012 Saturday Morning Session of General Conference.

 

[Traveler]

On 11/13/2018 at 5:35 AM, Carborendum said:

This is a common phenomenon.  We kneel or sit and we fold our arms or clasp our hands.  We verbalize some of the same things that we are grateful for and things we feel we need or others may need.  But too often, at least for me, my heart is not in it.  Yet, still, I've found some of those prayers are answered.

Over the past couple of years, I've been praying for charity.  And I've encouraged my whole family to do the same.  But just in the past month or so, I've been making an effort to really connect with the Lord as I do so.  This was with the hope that I could have a credible claim to "praying for charity with all the energy of soul."  The results have been remarkable.  I don't say that in CAPS.  But it is genuinely remarkable -- as in: Hmmm... that's interesting.

• I've noticed myself being able to actually listen to people as they talk.  I usually have such a short attention span that I simply can't listen for long.  But I can listen now.
• I've also noticed that I'm looking for the needs of others and trying to figure out a way to satisfy those needs.
• I've noticed an effort to be less judgmental, more accepting of others' faults, and more aware of my own.
• I've noticed that I'm less demanding, more giving.

Something my father and mother taught me about charity (or just being kind).  My parents say anyone can be kind or charitable when such things are logical and received with appreciation from others.  They taught me that a kind and charitable person is someone that is kind and charitable when no one else can see the logic or reason to be charitable - in other words when the conditions are such (so hostile) that no one expects kindness and charity.  It is said that charity is the pure love of Christ and to be honest I struggle with being kind and charitable to those that treat me or those I love harshly with contempt and intended harm.

 

The Traveler

[zil]

On 11/13/2018 at 5:35 AM, Carborendum said:

This is a common phenomenon.  We kneel or sit and we fold our arms or clasp our hands.  We verbalize some of the same things that we are grateful for and things we feel we need or others may need.  But too often, at least for me, my heart is not in it.  Yet, still, I've found some of those prayers are answered.

Over the past couple of years, I've been praying for charity.  And I've encouraged my whole family to do the same.  But just in the past month or so, I've been making an effort to really connect with the Lord as I do so.  This was with the hope that I could have a credible claim to "praying for charity with all the energy of soul."  The results have been remarkable.  I don't say that in CAPS.  But it is genuinely remarkable -- as in: Hmmm... that's interesting.

• I've noticed myself being able to actually listen to people as they talk.  I usually have such a short attention span that I simply can't listen for long.  But I can listen now.
• I've also noticed that I'm looking for the needs of others and trying to figure out a way to satisfy those needs.
• I've noticed an effort to be less judgmental, more accepting of others' faults, and more aware of my own.
• I've noticed that I'm less demanding, more giving.

Two thoughts: It's been my experience, that a prayer for something sincerely desired, but which we ourselves don't know how to actualize, repeated for years, can bring about changes in us that are so subtle we do not notice them.  Therefore, I think it entirely possible that your "couple of years" prayer brought about your ability "in the past month or so" to make "an effort to really connect with the Lord".  I would recommend that anyone who sincerely wishes for something, but doesn't now how to bring it about, follow this pattern.

Your first paragraph made me think of learning to pray as a child, which came from what amounted to public prayers - even family prayers are public in a way.  It took me a long time to realize this was the public model and that the private model should be different.  I don't recall my parents teaching me a private model.  I think the best thing parents can do for a child is to teach them a more personal way to pray, to engage their Heavenly Father in conversation.  Not having children (or experience with them, really), I don't know how difficult this might be, but it seems like something more that would be a gift for a child to learn early.

OK, a third thought: thank you for your descriptions of charity - I find them far more useful than when folks use "charity" alone, or even the scriptural descriptors.  Examples of "charity in action" give us specifics to both emulate and recognize.