Let What You Know Reflect in How You Act

The other night I felt prompted to read a talk I had quoted several times, but had never actually heard nor read all the way through. I had heard only a few select sentences that inspired me in my latest calling, "Ultimately it is my responsibility and your responsibility to find people for the missionaries to teach."

Elder David A. Bednar always speaks with such quiet and powerful profoundness. It is quite the opposite from another favored General Authority, Jeffery R. Holland who is always so bold in his speech.

I started to read his April 2008 General Conference Address "Ask in Faith" with no idea what the talk was about. Originally I thought it was about missionary work. Of course! Why else would he make a comment like that if it wasn't? Boy, was I wrong...

As I read the first paragraph, I realized he address was on much more than missionary work. It was addressing something I am severely lacking in my life: prayer and asking in faith. And he not only talks about prayer, but "meaningful prayer."

"Simply saying prayers is quite a different thing from engaging in meaningful prayer," Elder Bednar said. "I expect that all of us already know that prayer is essential for our spiritual development and protection. But what we know is not always reflected in what we do."

Of course I know I have to pray! Of course I know that is the way to get answers! Of course I know that is the way to blessings in my life! Of course... Of course... Of course...

So, why am I not doing it? Why is it so hard for me to kneel down on my knees at night and talk to my Heavenly Father?

"...what we know is not always reflected in what we do."

If we truly know it, are we doing it? I have a boss that always asks, "Where else is that showing up in your life?"

It has taken me three days to get through this talk and I had been taught much. Elder Bednar outlines three things we need to do in order to make our prayers more meaningful:

1- Ask in Faith and Act
Joseph Smith read a scripture in James and in verse 6 we learn, "let him ask in faith, nothing wavering."

"Please notice the requirement to ask in faith, which I understand to mean the necessity to not only express but to do, the dual obligation to both plead and to perform, the requirement to communicate and to act," Elder Bednar said. When Joseph retired to the grove of trees, we was determined not only to ask but to act.

Faith is the first principle of the gospel and carries with it a great potential for power. But I don't write of the world's definition of power, but of God's. This kind of power increases our spiritual capacity, inspires us to be better, invites the strengthening and redeeming power of the Atonement into our lives, and truly sets us free.

"Meaningful prayer requires both holy communication and consecrated work," Elder Bednar said. "Blessings require some effort on our part before we can obtain them, and prayer, as "a form of work,... is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings" (Bible Dictionary),"

Holy communication and consecrated work... Blessing require some effort on our part... Holy communication... Consecrated work... Effort... I thought blessings were 'given' to us, and now he is telling me I have to put forth some effort?

I asked myself what "holy communication" meant. Is that paying attention when I pray? Is it meditating so that my mind "lifts to heaven"? I continued to read and found my answer in the next paragraph: honesty (Do you really want the blessings?), effort (Are you will to work for it?), commitment and persistence (If it is truly something we desire, we'll keep on asking.).

Elder Bednar teaches that consecrated work is acting upon the things we have expressed to our Heavenly Father after we say 'amen.' "Pray with the expectation to act."

2- After the Trial of Our Faith
Elder Bednar said, "merely waiting for the anticipated blessing would not be enough; [we] need to continue to act."

When I read this, I thought of Zion's Camp. Merely waiting for God to deliver them wasn't enough. They needed to put their pride aside and come together before the Lord would miraculously deliver them from the hundreds of angry mob members. "Dispute not because [we] see not, for [we] receive no witness until after the trial of [our] faith."

3- Not My Will, but Thine, Be Done
Do you recognized and accept the will of God in your life? "Discerning and accepting the will of God in our lives are fundamental elements of asking in faith in meaningful prayer."

For me, it goes back to those four simple words: honesty, effort, commitment, and persistence. These will help us to align our will with our Heavenly Father's.

"The object of our prayers should be... to secure for ourselves and for others belssings that God is eager to bestow, according to His will and timing," Elder Bednar said.

Timing would be my greatest weakness. Waiting, knowing that God has it written down, but I have to wait for it to be in His time frame. Often, I forget God is in control and I try to run my life the way I think is best. Elder Niel A. Maxwell, of the Quorum of the Twelve, said it is best not to meddle in God's plans because if we do, we could throw off everything that has been planned and we would destroy it.

So, at some point in this exercise we call life, we must learn to accept both God's will and His timing. "We can move beyond routine and "checklist" prayers and engage in meaningful prayer as we appropriately ask in faith and act, as we patiently persevere through the trial of our faith, and as we humbly acknowledge and accept "not my will, but Thine, be done"."

My invitation to you is that you work to move beyond simply saying your prayers, and that you move to engage in meaningful prayer. I know that as you and I both do, we will go from not just knowing it, but to doing it and reaping the benefits of it.

Let what you know be reflected in what you do.