36.1 F
Spokane
Thursday, February 27, 2025
spot_img
HomeCommentaryAsk A Latter-day Saint: Asking for help after a lapse in prayer

Ask A Latter-day Saint: Asking for help after a lapse in prayer

Date:

Related stories

Trump’s abuse of power puts U.S. democracy in peril

Trump’s actions challenge the Constitution, undermine justice and threaten democracy with abuse of power, attacks on the press and disregard for laws.

Embrace Lent without the guilt: Read a book or share a smile

Lent has shifted from guilt-driven rituals to spiritual renewal, with prayer, good works and reflection. Benedictines also encourage reading a new book!

Shed old skin: Learn the Year of the Snake’s power

In this Year of the Snake, what old skins might need shedding for your personal renewal? The author notes he needs to shed racial prejudice and hostility to snakes.

Could empathy stem from our shared atoms and humanity?

As she ages, the author values efficiency, embraces absurdity and deep questions and finds empathy in humanity's shared atoms.

Why we can’t tolerate a ‘prank’ that hurts any Spokane community

John Dawson Rhodes pleaded guilty to stealing flags and damaging property at Veradale United Church of Christ. His actions were framed as a "prank," but the Rev. Gen Heywood doesn't agree.

Our Sponsors

spot_img

Do you have a question about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? Submit it online or fill out the form below. 

By Jeff Borders

Is it selfish to ask for help if you haven’t prayed in a while?

Dear reader,

I’m grateful for your sincere question. I think it is safe to say that you are not the only one who has ever felt this way. I have felt this way before when my own prayers are lacking. Sometimes we judge ourselves too harshly and consider ourselves unworthy of God’s love, especially if we haven’t reached out to speak with Him in a long time.

As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we view God as our literal Heavenly Father, and I think building from this assumption can help to answer your question.

I can’t help but think of my own relationship with my parents. If I don’t speak to them for some time and then go to them to ask them for something, they don’t scoff at me or scorn me for my failure to communicate. No, they embrace me and seek to help me, because they have an unconditional love for me.

The same holds true for our Heavenly Father. He loves us and desires to hear from his children. In his infinite wisdom, he also knows the frailties of mortality, and he understands that we will more than once in our lifetimes fail to communicate with him. When we finally find ourselves seeking him through prayer, he doesn’t turn away from us or punish us. Instead, he reaches out to us, seeking to draw us closer.

In addition, we must understand the whole point of prayer in the first place. Prayer is a two-way communication between you and God. Prayer is a time to offer praise, be thankful and express gratitude, and yes, ask for things that we may not feel worthy to receive, or even be ready to receive.

So, no I don’t think it is selfish to ask for help when you haven’t prayed in a while. I think Heavenly Father wants you to reach out and express the desires of your heart.

But we also must understand that an answer to our prayers may or may not come when we want it to, or it may come in a different way than we think it should. Answers to prayers require patience, and ultimately more prayer to understand the direction given through the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

It’s also important to understand that the answers to our prayers will ultimately lie where our desires and God’s desires for us are in harmony. And that can sometimes be hard to reconcile. Where our desire may be the help to overcome a particular trial or relieve our pain and suffering, God’s desire for us may be growth and progression. What lies between those two is what we can learn; patience, endurance, charity, and a firm reliance on the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

In the end, if you are feeling unworthy of answers, don’t be afraid to express that to God, because He is your Father and He wants to know how you feel. You don’t have to sugar coat your feelings for Him. He wants to know our ups and downs. And through our honest, open, and regular communication with Him, we will develop a relationship that can carry us through our mortal existence, and we can gain access to the most incredible and loving power in the universe.

 

Jeff Borders
Jeff Borders
Jeff Borders was born in Spokane, Washington and has lived there since. He is a self published author, focusing in science fiction and fantasy, but he enjoyes writing in all its forms. By trade he is a Respiratory Therapist, but he is also active in his community as a volunteer firefighter, as well as being active in his church. He holds many additional teaching certifications for his fields of employment and he enjoys educating others. Jeff married his wife Crystyne in 2003, and together they have four, very fun and energetic children. His website is www.jeffbordersbooks.com

Our Sponsors

spot_img
spot_img

1 COMMENT

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
1 Comment
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Diane Kipp
Diane Kipp
6 years ago

Beautiful answer, Jeff.

spot_img
1
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x