Sweet Hour of Prayer

Today I was out of bed for more than an hour before anyone else in the family.  This isn't totally unheard of, so I began my usual morning routine.  Wake up DD4.  Make a lunch or two.  Say my prayers.  And an hour later I realize that maybe I'd better go make sure DD4 really is awake and getting ready for school. 

So what was I doing on my knees for an hour?  Well, more sleep might have been nice, but I wasn't sleeping.  Lately I can always find plenty to pray about, and enjoy it too!  I used to wonder about how Enos could spend the whole day and the whole night praying, but I'm starting to understand:

Sweet Hour of Prayer

Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer!
That calls me from a world of care
And bids me at my Father's throne
Make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
My soul has often found relief
And oft escaped the tempter's snare
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!
And oft escaped the tempter's snare
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!

 Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer!
Thy wings shall my petition bear
To him whose truth and faithfulness
Engage the waiting soul to bless.
And since he bids me seek his face,
Believe his word, and trust his grace,
I'll cast on him my ev'ry care
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!
I'll cast on him my ev'ry care
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

Text: Attr. to William W. Walford, 1772-1850, alt.
Music: William B. Bradbury, 1816-1868, alt.
Psalm 55:16-17, 22

Safe From Harm and Accident

I grew up hearing the phrase "please keep us safe from harm or accident" on a daily basis as our family would kneel together morning and night for family prayers.  "Please help us to return safely to our homes" or similar phrases were probably repeated in most prayers that I heard at church and even community gatherings all during my growing up years.  These phrases have become a permanent fixture in my own prayers, not only in my personal prayers, but when I have the opportunity to pray for a group at church or in other situations. 

So, are these oft repeated phrases trite, or "vain repetitions?  I think not.  We may at times say them without much thought, but I feel that most people who pray these phrases truly do want to petition the Lord for protection from harm and accident for themselves and for their loved ones, on a daily basis. I also believe that the Lord answers these prayers on a daily basis.  I believe that he answers them much more often than we realize.  And when we do realize that he has answered our prayers with protection, we are always very, very grateful.  We need to remember to thank him for his protection, and for answering our prayers.  I for one am very grateful for the many many times that the Lord has kept me and my loved ones safe from harm and from accident. 

Cast Thy Burden on The Lord

Some days a person just needs to vent.  Friends and loved ones can be good listeners, but I certainly don't want to burden them with all of my cares every day.  That's just too much for most people.  I'm grateful for the blessing of prayer.  Of course I do try to thank the Lord each day for my many blessings, but one of my blessings is the fact that He is willing to listen and comfort me and bear me up. 

In the words of an old Hymn:

How Gentle God's Commands
31243, Hymns, How Gentle God's Commands, no. 125

How gentle God's commands!
How kind his precepts are!
Come, cast your burdens on the Lord
And trust his constant care.

Beneath his watchful eye,
His Saints securely dwell;
That hand which bears all nature up
Shall guard his children well.

Why should this anxious load
Press down your weary mind?
Haste to your Heav'nly Father's throne
And sweet refreshment find.

 His goodness stands approved,
Unchanged from day to day;
I'll drop my burden at his feet
And bear a song away.

Text: Philip Doddridge, 1702-1751
Music: Hans Georg Nägeli, 1773-1836; arr. by Lowell Mason, 1792-1872

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.    1 John 5:3

 Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.  Psalm 55:22

D.I.P.

Divine Inspiration through Prayer  or Daily Inspiration through Prayer

This past week our Relief Society had an evening activity that they called D.I.P.  The Bishop shared some thoughts and stories about how different people in his family, social circle, and our ward have recently received Divine help and inspiration through prayer.  Afterwards everyone was invited to share their own experiences of times when they have received inspiration or help from prayer. 

Even though I didn't care to share anything that night, I do proclaim to the world right now that I know that I receive daily help and guidance and protection and inspiration through prayer.  Prayer is one of the greatest blessings we have been given.  I recently posted about a few of the many little miracles that have blessed our family this past Christmas. 

After everyone who wanted to had shared their thoughts, we loaded up on chips and crackers and veggies and dips that everyone had brought to share.  I whipped up a recipe for Fresh Spinach Dip that I had recently come across at  Six Sister's Stuff.   I did revise the recipe a bit as follows so I didn't need to go out and buy anything.  Unfortunately, there were so many other dips and goodies there that not much of my spinach dip was eaten, but I really liked it if I do say so myself.  Today I resolve to go out and buy a big box of crackers so we can enjoy the remainder of my Fresh Spinach Dip.  Hope you all can enjoy plenty of Divine Inspiration through Prayer, and any other DIP of your own choosing in the coming days and weeks!

Fresh Spinach Dip
1 cup sour cream
8 oz Neufchatel Cream Cheese
10 oz fresh spinach, washed and dried and stems removed  (I may have used more--I had a 40 oz bag)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt

Blend all ingredients together in food processor, adding spinach very last.  (You may need to add spinach in small batches, processing after each batch so it will all fit.)  Cover and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.  Great with vegetables, chips, or crackers.

Little Miracles

Our White Christmas

Little miracles happen every day.  I have been remiss in not continuing to document them.  It has been a good Christmas.  We continue to be blessed.

The plan for this year's Christmas Eve was to travel the 40 miles to my hometown to gather with my parents and siblings and their families for a Christmas Eve lunch and get together, and then to bring my parents back home with us to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with us.  The weather has been fairly warm and dry this December, which I have not minded, but we do need the moisture, so of course when a snowstorm was forecast for Christmas Eve, I received the news with mixed emotions.  I do not enjoy driving in snowy conditions, especially the 40 some odd miles up the canyon to my hometown and back.  We woke on Christmas Eve morning to a dark and cloudy day.  It was cold and wet and rainy here in the valley, but the weather forecast let us know that it was already snowing in the mountains and that even more snow was on it's way. 

Nevertheless, I nervously set about to my tasks of baking rolls for lunch, filling the car with gas, and purchasing a few last items for Santa to use to fill the stockings.   DH and DD1 were both scheduled to work, so it would just be DD2, DD3, and DD4 driving up the mountains to the party. My car has recently had the steering column replaced to ensure that the windshield wipers and other electrical related functions  don't flake out and stop working like they did the last time I drove up the canyon in a snow storm, I was getting more nervous and short tempered by the minute.  DH was aware of my nervousness and lovingly added air to my car's tires. Just about the time the last batch of rolls was baking, huge snowflakes began swirling through the sky, falling fast and heavy.  It was time to leave.  I was still very nervous, but DH assured me that if he were driving, he would still go, so one of the girls offered a prayer for safety, we loaded up the car, and started our journey. 

The roads in the neighborhood were already snow packed, so we drove very slowly out to the main roads and headed towards the freeway.  The freeway still had lots of slushy snow cover, but the windshield wipers were working fine, and we drove slowly, joking about arriving at the party just as everyone else would be ready to leave.   The car was working fine, and even though we saw others who were slipping and sliding around a bit, I drove slowly and had no trouble.   When we were about three quarters of the way up the canyon, the snow tapered off and stopped, and the roads were almost dry.  We drove the remaining twenty or thirty miles at normal freeway speed with no problems at all.  In fact, we were one of the first cars to arrive at the party location!  We enjoyed a nice peaceful lunch with the relatives, played some games and sang some Christmas Songs, saw how big the new grandnephew babies are getting, and just enjoyed the afternoon.  After another prayer for safety for all who were traveling and cleaning up we loaded my parents overnight bag and gifts into the car and headed home.   There was blue sky showing in the upper valley as we left for home, but we soon came back to the full cloud cover and some snow flurries, but when we reached the canyon, the roads were well cleared, the snow had stopped and traffic was fairly light.  We traveled safely back down the canyon, and didn't see falling snow again until we reached our own neighborhood, where the roads were still quite snow packed. 

We settled grandma and grandpa in with a Disney movie they hadn't yet seen while I fixed our Christmas Eve Dinner of Ham and Chicken and the trimmings.  DH arrived home from work and we had our dinner and Christmas Eve program of singing carols and reading the Christmas Story from Luke and Matthew, then hung up our stockings and sent Grandma and Grandpa to bed.  It was finally time for Santa to come, so I got back into my car to drive the few blocks to our family business where I had stored a few of the presents.   I gathered them up, got back into the car, turned the key in the ignition . . . and the car would not start.  I tried several times.  Nothing but a highly annoying whine.  So I picked up the bags of gifts that I could carry and walked home.  It was now nearly midnight, or shortly thereafter, and  DD3 was just preparing to leave to pick up DD1 from work, so she  drove me back to my car where we picked up the remaining gifts and brought them home.  By the time the Dear Daughters returned from DD1's place of employment, the stockings were nearly filled, and we were soon all safely settled into our Christmas sleep. 

The repaired car, now again in working condition

 

We had a nice Christmas with our girls and parents, eating Christmas Brunch, opening gifts, and then enjoying a Christmas supper and games with DH's mother and family.  DS1 arrived in town late Christmas night, and was able to help us get my car in to be repaired the next day, and even drove his Grandparents safely home in another snowstorm.  The car has been repaired and paid for.   We are far from rich materially speaking, but in the area of little miracles, family, love, and blessings, we are millionaires.  God loves us, hears and answers our prayers, and is always watching over and protecting us.  I believe in God, our loving Heavenly Father.  I believe in the power of prayer.  I believe in little miracles.

Answers to Prayers

Answers to Prayers
Scripture Challenge Week 8
D&C 6:14-16

14  Verily, Verily, I say unto thee, blessed art thou for what thou hast done; for thou hast inquired of me, and behold, as often as thou has inquired thou hast received instruction of my Spirit.  If it had not been so, thou wouldst not have come to the place where thou art at this time. 
15  Behold, thou knowest that thou has inquired of me and I did enlighten thy mind; and now I tell thee these things that thou mayest know that thou hast been enlightened by the Spirit of truth;
16  Yea, I tell thee, that htou mayest know that there is none else save God that knowest thy thoughts and the intents of thy heart.

Why do we not always recognize the answers to our prayers?  And the inspirations that we receive? Do we sometimes take credit for ourselves for what the Lord has inspired us to do?  I do know that the Lord does answer our prayers.

Prayer

Prayer
Scripture Challenge Week 7
Matthew 7:7-8

7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

This is just so simple.  Pray.  Pray every day for the things you need.