Morning Prayer

So, this is just a little thing, but it was the first thing I thought of this morning. I've always really struggled with morning prayers, especially remembering in the first place, but also just having the motivation to get out of bed and kneel on the hard floor. Well, I inadvertently found a solution that works great for me.

I have three pillows that I use to prop myself up at night when I read in bed. I only sleep on one though, so every night before going to sleep I throw the other two pillows on the floor next to my bed. When I wake up, I roll out of bed, kneel on the pillows and pray. I realized this morning that that's part of the reason I remember to say my prayers; my pillows remind me AND keep me comfortable. Silly maybe, but effective. :)

On a more serious note, I've found that great blessings come from remembering my morning prayer. There's that scripture that says, "Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day" (Alma 37:37). Perhaps others have read it differently, but I have always interpreted this scripture to be talking about the importance of both morning and nightly prayer. I have definitely felt the Lord directing me as I have made time for sincere prayer.

I think that there are many reasons for prayer, (creating and strengthening your relationship with God, finding answers and receiving revelations, exercising faith and learning humility,) and at different times in your life different reasons will be emphasized for you.

Right now, for me, prayer is about keeping my baptismal covenants. I promised that I will always remember Christ, and I feel that prayer is one of the best tools Heavenly Father has given me as a constant reminder. We have personal morning prayer, bless our breakfast, morning family prayer, bless our lunch, bless our dinner, nightly family prayer, and personal nightly prayer, not to mention all the activities and meetings that we often have that begin and end with prayers. And beyond all this we should let our "hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually" (Alma 34:27). With all this praying throughout the day, how can you help but think about Christ and His gospel almost all the time?

It's wonderful to find yourself thinking about Christ in those moments when you don't have anything to do. You feel uplifted and encouraged, and you experience a constant hope in the gospel. (It's like that Spring-General-Conference-morning feeling in miniature.) If I get distracted from the things that are most important for a while, any one of these prayers brings my focus back to Him. In a way it's a chicken and the egg situation in that as I remember Him, I receive His spirit to be with me which helps me remember to pray. As I remember to pray, I find it easier to remember Him always. It's a beautiful cycle, an upward sloping spiral. :)