Dear Elders and Sisters,
I remember a wise, humble District President in Germany who often taught that we must "pray with our mouths and then get up and pray with our legs." Using similar words, President Hinckley promised: "Get on your knees and PRAY and stand on your feet and DO His will and put your trust and faith in Him AND GOD WILL BLESS YOU." (First President Message, Ensign April 2002)
Elder David A. Bednar explained that our duty to "ask in faith," as James instructed us to do (see James 1:6), is a "dual obligation to BOTH PLEAD AND TO PERFORM, the requirement to COMMUNICATE AND TO ACT." ("Ask in Faith," Ensign or Liahona, May 2008, 94–95) It means that we not only kneel before our Father in Heaven and plead for His direction and help, we also are willing to act in accordance with the Lord's answer and expectations. We pray earnestly with our mouths and then we get up and pray with our legs.
Joseph Smith gave us a perfect example of one who asked in faith, pleading for guidance and being willing to act upon whatever guidance he received from the Lord. He recorded: "My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join." (Joseph Smith—History 1:10, 18). Elder Bednar observed that "Joseph's questions focused not just on what he needed to know but also on what was to be done! His prayer was not simply, 'Which church is right?' His question was, 'Which church should I join?' Joseph went to the grove to ask in faith, and he was determined to act." ("Ask in Faith," Ensign or Liahona, May 2008, 94–95)Joseph Smith had made up his mind before he approached his Heavenly Father in prayer that he would do whatever he learned he was supposed to do. (see also 1 Nephi 15:11; Moroni 10:4)
Elders and Sisters, we must be sure that when we PLEAD earnestly for guidance, for forgiveness, or for strength, that we are also completely willing to ACT on the things we know the Lord expects us to do in order for our prayer to be answered. We must be willing to both "plead and perform." We must be willing "to communicate and to act." We must pray earnestly, pouring out our hearts to our Father in Heaven for His help, and then get up on our feet and do everything we know is necessary for our prayer to be answered. Let me give you a few examples:
•We PLEAD for help to understand and speak the Russian language better, and then we PERFOM by diligently memorizing the sentences and phrases our mission is focusing on and speaking Russian outside the apartment.
•We PLEAD to find new investigators, and then we PERFORM by speaking with everyone during the day, and by being clean, submissive and filled with the pure love of Christ.
•We PLEAD that our investigators will be blessed to feel the Spirit, and then we PERFORM by doing everything necessary to have the Spirit with us as we teach and testify.
•We PLEAD that the Lord will bless us with a stronger testimony and greater faith, and then we PERFORM by fully submitting our will to Him and keeping the covenants we have made.
Like Joseph Smith, we must approach the Lord with a sincere desire to receive His help and guidance having a firm determination to act on the things He has asked us to do and the things He will yet prompt us to do. We must pray for knowledge being firmly committed to act on the knowledge we already have and will yet receive. We must pray for divine help, being fully committed to act on the instructions and guidance we have already received and will yet receive in order to make the things we have prayed for a reality.
As Elder Bednar taught: "We press forward and persevere in the consecrated work of prayer, after we say 'amen,' by acting upon the things we have expressed to Heavenly Father." ("Ask in Faith," Ensign or Liahona, May 2008, 94–95)
I pray that we will always offer earnest prayers with our hearts and mouths and then get up and "pray with our legs" by doing everything necessary to receive the things we have prayed for.
I constantly pray for each of you. I express my love to you.
President Christensen
Sister Lauralee Christensen
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