The Conversation that is Prayer

l Last week I struggled with one part of my primary lesson on prayer.  I knew I wanted to share an experience when I felt like my prayers were answered, but as always, I wanted the children to be able to apply the principle I was teaching to their lives TODAY, not just when big problems come.  At the end of my lesson I realized that the prayer experience I needed to share was about Grace.  She was sitting right there, looking as healthy as any other child in primary.  This was not the everyday experience I was looking for, but I didn't argue:).  I felt to preface that experience by reminding the children that sometimes it is obvious in big ways that our prayers are answered...we are healed, we are kept safe, we feel courage, we find what we're looking for, etc.  But it is important to know that every earnest prayer is heard and answered by our Heavenly Father...the mealtime prayers, the morning prayers, the bedtime prayers, the prayers of faith and thanksgiving offered from the heart.  Then I told of Grace, specifically of when in the first hours of her life we found that she had pulmonary atresia that couldn't be treated right away because she had developed Necrotizing Enterocolitis.  It's a scary thing to be told that your day old baby's heart can't be fixed because she's got a more pressing issue!  The doc told us that they were starting Grace on aggressive antibiotic treatments, and until the NEC resolved we had to wait on repairing Grace's pulmonary valve.  PRAYERS.  We prayed.  We had our home teacher come to the hospital and assist Wayne in giving Grace a priesthood blessing.  She was told she would be healed and that it would be as if there was nothing wrong with her.  The next morning we got word that the NEC had resolved, and that Grace would have her Cardiac Catheterization as soon as possible.  Miracles.  I told the primary kids to look at Grace.  She's living proof of answers to prayers.

l What I didn't share with the primary children, but what has been a life lesson for me came days later.  My sister delivered a stillborn baby at 39 weeks.  We had been on the phone regularly during our pregnancies comparing notes, spitting in Drain-o to "know" the sex of our babies, dreaming of these two little girl cousins.  I remember getting the sad news of baby Julia's death and gasping in shock.  It made no sense.  We talk of faith healing and miracles, but I knew that my sister had no less faith than I, if anything she and her sweet family were much more faithful.  How could this happen?  My answer came quickly and clearly... "Faith does not mean believing in Christ because we got 'our way,' but faith also means believing in Jesus Christ even when you do not."  Isn't it ironic that although our babies faired differently, my sister and I both attribute our faith to getting us through those experiences?

l Not surprising, the key point in senior primary was made by one of the primary children.  After reading, D&C 6:22-23, J. who is turning 12 this week, was asked to share a time when he felt like his prayers were answered because the Spirit gave him peace.  J. said that one time he was saying his prayers and he repented for something he had done.  He finished his prayer and he waited.  Then he felt warmth inside and he felt like he was forgiven.

So, the challenge for the primary, adults included, was to take time in our prayers to have a 2-WAY conversation with our Heavenly Father...Wait...Listen.  Even if the answer doesn't come right away, we can feel the love of our Heavenly Father and know that He is there for us, and will help us in His time and in His way; the Perfect way.

l Something I didn't share with the children, but love to remember...