Faith

I am in the midst of completing two requirements for my Personal Progress. The first one in Faith is about prayer. I was to read some scriptures about faith, do some praying, and then write in my journal of my experiences. So here it goes:

I have always had a problem with saying my prayers on a regular basis. I would get started then stop, then start again. Or I would start with twice a day at least then lower to once a day before I went to bed. I noticed this time, that I pray more than I think. I find myself stopping and thinking about what I had just thought and it was usually a prayer that I was saying for something. The more I look back on situations the more I realize that it was a prayer, albeit a little one, that helped me in that situation. I pray more than I thought I ever did. It is through our faith that we see the answers to our prayers. It is through faith that we are even able to pray, to talk to someone that we have never met physically on this earth and know that we will receive an answer. Every now and then I need a little reminder to pray and Personal Progress has been that reminder this time.

The second experience is about the Sacrament. Another goal is to read about the Sacrament, really listen to the words during the prayer and write about it. The Sacrament Prayers have been something that took me a long time to really listen to and understand. It wasn't until I was in college and found out for myself what the prayers were all about. I grew up hearing the words of the prayers every week. It was nothing new to me. It wasn't until I decided that I was going to really listen to them that they took on a whole new meaning. It was during my time of true conversion. I had recently had a knee surgery that kept me out of soccer for about eight months. During that time I was able to focus on the things that were necessary for my life at that time. It's amazing what one little injury can do and how much it can change you. That is when I started to really use the words of those prayers in my life. I had never done that before. It was a whole new thing for me. I felt different. I felt a sense of peace and happiness in hearing those words every week. I have been in a family ward now for almost a year and I realized that I stopped paying attention to the words and what the Sacrament was about and paid more attention to the kid screaming behind me, the kid running in the aisle, or the person sleeping next to me. I had lost that peaceful happiness that I once felt. After reading and remembering the feelings I once had I wanted to get back to that. I have been listening more carefully and thinking of the great sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for the world. I am so grateful to Him for the life He lived and the example he is. I am so grateful that because of His sacrifice I am able to repent and return to my Heavenly Father once again. Faith is a major part of this life. If we can rely on our faith we will be a happier people and a more caring, forgiving people.