Answer to My Prayers

I have learned a lot this week as I have worked on being more like Christ and studied the Old Testament. This semester, I have been working on being more prayerful. It has been working wonderfully. I have gotten back into the routine of praying in the morning on my own and with my family at night. I have noticed that the more often I pray personally, the less scripted my prayers feel. I am able to really reach out and ask for help and tell my Heavenly Father the good and rough things that have been going on. This brings me to a big lesson I learned while reading my scriptures this week.

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I have been struggling at work with the way some people talk about Christians. A week ago I left feeling defeated and worthless because of the things a few people were saying. One guy was brave enough to speak up for himself. I wished that I had been brave enough as well. 

One morning on the way to work, I prayed for help. I knew that I needed to change something in me to make my anxiety about the situation better. I asked my Heavenly Father to help me be the example to my coworkers that I needed to be and to have the courage to stand up for my religion. 

When I got home, I started to read the assignment for the week looking for principles that I could apply to my life. I was shocked to see the answer to my prayers not long after I started reading (this kind of thing rarely happens to me)! 

• "...be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest." (Joshua 1:7)

The Lord was telling me that I need to be strong and courageous. I need to keep the commandments. I need to not turn away from my struggles. He will help me not matter where I go. 

When I read this it reminded me of my seminary days (more years ago than I want to admit) and the scriptures that I had memorized. 

• "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16)

I am not going though the same struggles as Joshua and the children of Isreal when though. I have a home and plenty of food. I have not been wondering around most of my life waiting for the Lord to tell the prophet where the promised land is. However, I can still learn from the same teachings that they were given.