Unofficially Grateful: Prayer

Ah, November. The month of gratitude. Only a third the way through, and already I have read more than enough "grateful" posts on Facebook. But you know what? It's good. Even if I may be bored of reading them, I really am happy that people take this month to think about all the blessings they have, instead of focusing on everything they don't. It's a good reminder for all of us to remember our blessings and to express gratitude for them - and not only in November. I think sometimes we forget it's okay to be thankful for the rest of the year too.

And now I will hop off that soap box and onto another one.

Prayer. It is a big deal, my friends. And it is most definitely one of the greatest blessings in my life. I have really come to develop a strong testimony of the power of prayer. And along with that comes the knowledge that the Lord knows me, and He cares about me. I know that, because He answers my prayers. Always. The answer doesn't always come right when I want it (I think He's trying to teach me patience, in addition to a multitude of other good qualities I have yet to develop), but it comes.

I wasn't going to bore you with any examples from my life, but jokes on you! I'm totally going to bore you with an example from my life.

My first, really important experience with prayer happened when I was probably about 12. Give or take a year. I used to have a really hard time getting to sleep. I would go to bed nice and early, but if I didn't fall asleep within 15 or 30 minutes, I would start to stress. And then I really couldn't sleep. And then I would really stress. It was a vicious cycle, and it was really hard on me. It was just after the holidays, right before school was ready to start back up. I was suffering a little post-holiday depression, and I was stressing. Big time. It was miserable. I was laying in my bed, trying and trying to sleep, but it just wasn't coming. I prayed, I got up and read my scriptures, I talked to my parents - I did everything I could. But it didn't work. As the clock ticked on and on, my anxiety was building. I was tired, and I was scared. I didn't know what else to do. I got up, and said one more prayer. I prayed and prayed that I would be able to calm down and sleep. After my prayer, I got back into bed and closed my eyes, hoping that it would work. I could hear my mom playing the piano in the living room. I just lay there and listened. Then I recognized what she was playing. It was "Hum Your Favorite Hymn". I hadn't tried that yet, in fact, the idea hadn't even occurred to me. But I had nothing to lose. I decided to give it a go. The first hymn that came to mind was "The Spirit of God". I played the song in my mind, and immediately an immense peace just washed over me. It was an instant change, like turning on a light in a dark room. I felt peace, and comfort, and I knew that it would be okay. I know that Heavenly Father had heard my prayer, and He had answered it. It was an amazing experience. This isn't that big of deal. It wasn't life or death, it wasn't going to change the course of my life. But it mattered to me. When I was having a difficult trial - one that I couldn't deal with on my own - my prayer was answered.

Since then, I have had many other experiences with prayer, and each time, I have been brought closer to my Father in Heaven and my Savior. I know that they know me. And not only do they know me, they love me. Silly little me. Just one soul among billions that have lived and will live on this earth. Isn't that the most amazing thing? As insignificant, and unimportant as I am in the grand scheme of things, they still love me enough to listen to my prayers, and to guide and direct me. It's the most humbling thought. 

Prayer has made all the difference in my life. It's a blessing I can never cease to be grateful for. 

I am un[OFFICIALY] grateful for prayer.