Spirtual Insights: Prayer and the Atonement

I have re-learned some things about the gospel lately that I thought would be important to share and record. The first was from a Relief Society lesson from the talk Pray Always by Elder David A. Bednar. He talks about how everything was spiritually created before the temporal creation and he says, "In a similar way, meaningful morning prayer is an important element in the spiritual creation of each day-- and precedes the temporal creation or the actual execution of the day." when you put it in that perspective it really makes morning prayers seem so much more beneficial and important to make time for before we start our day. He also talks about how morning and evening prayers are linked. "At the end of our day, we kneel again and report back to our Father. We review the events of the day and express heartfelt thanks for the blessings and the help we received. We repent and, with the assistance of the spirit of the Lord, identify ways we can do and become better tomorrow. Thus our evening prayer builds upon and is a continuation of our morning prayer. And out evening prayer also is a preparation for meaningful morning prayer."
Elder Bednar also discusses the importance of gratitude and suggests we do more prayers with only expression of gratitude and ask for nothing. In addition he encourages us to pray for others with real intent and a sincere heart. "Just as expressing gratitude more often in our prayers enlarges the conduit for revelation, so praying for others with all the energy of our souls increases our capacity to hear and to heed the voice of the Lord." I guess I had never really thought of gratitude and praying for others as a way to recieve revelation instead of just doing it because you feel the need. It makes sense that when you stop worrying and praying for your own needs and think of your blessings and the needs of others that the spirit is better able to get through to you. Your mind set is different and more prepared to hear and not just tell or request.
I also have a strong testimony about the power of being united in prayer in behalf of a particular person or blessing. I remember right before I found out about my sisters complication with her twins a sister sharing a story about her daughter who had a later stage form of breast cancer (she was my age and one of my college friends which made it more personal). She said someone had told her to call several temples and have her name placed on the prayer roll. Amazingly she was able to overcome the cancer even at it's late stage. I think that sister was inspired to share that story for my benefit because it was only like a week later that I found out about my sister's twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome and I did as this sister had done and called a few temples to have her put her name on the prayer roll. There were miraculous blessings as a result and I have no doubt that all those faithful temple attendees praying on behalf of my sister as well as our own family prayers made a difference. I thought I knew about prayer, but Elder Bednar's talk helped me learn new things that will help me improve the quality of my prayers.
On a side note, I had the opportunity to listen to sister Julie Beck the Relief Society General President last night at our Stake enrichment, and I will have to do a seperate blog about that experience, but she also talked about when we pray for others we can get insights from our Heavenly Father who knows them and loves them that will help us connect and serve them better. Especially if we are trying to reach out to someone who seems unloveable or seems to reject all our attempts to reach them by placing obstacles or defenses between you and them.
One aspect of Elder Bednar's talk that was really touching was when he reminded us of the Savior's perfect example of praying for others with real intent. You can find it in John 17: 9, 20. 26 and in his visit to the Nephites in 3 Ne17:1-17 where is states, "No one can conceive of the joy which filled our souls at the time we heard Him pray for us unto the Father" and Elder Bednar asked us to, "imagine what it might have been like to hear the Savior of the world praying for us." I have also been pondering the atonement since our gospel docterine lesson a few weeks ago on the subject. I remember reading Doctrine and Covenants 19:16-19 that says the savior suffered in "both body and spirit". I think sometimes I visualize and think more of the suffering of his body that about the pain it caused him in spirit to feel all the disappointments, heart-ache, fears, and other emotional pains he also experienced "that his bowels may be filled with mercy. . . and that he may know . . . how to succor his people according to their infirmities" Alma 7:12. I guess I didn't realize infirmities included emotional infirmities and emotional pain that he also had to endure. I knew this on a basic level, but these insights helped me appreciate the atonement so much more. It is very rare that we have to go through emotional turmoil at the same time as physical ailments and then to compound that to all those who believe in Christ. No human could endure that depth of suffering only the son of God! I am so grateful that in him I can find relief from emotional suffering whether it is from mistakes, shortcomings or sins or from other disappointments and emotional pains. I am so grateful that he was so willing to suffer, so that I would not have to suffer if I repent.