To Be a Better Deciple of Christ

I had written this Sunday night after doing my Book of Mormon assignment. So I thought I would post it up on here ....

A Challenge

to strive to be a better person, a better disciple of Christ, i have set some goals for myself and striving to do things better and do the things that i haven't done that i should be doing.

everyday...

wake up and pray- to start my day off with prayer and to keep that prayer with me all day in my heart!

when i am to start my home work ... before EACH classes assignment say a prayer and ask for help and comprehension and understanding in each and every reading and questions and papers and quizzes and tests. to have a clear mind and focus and not be distracted that i can finish in good time and feel confident in what i have done.

after EACH thank the Lord for his help in prayer.

strive to be done with home work by 12am every night

read my scriptures everyday open them with prayer and close them with prayer asking to understand what is being said to comprehend what it is that i need to get from the chapters and verses i read - to spend 30min reading, its not about how much i read but how much time i take to understand what i am reading. and again in close to thank the lord for what i have read and for the knowledge that it has given me .

before i go to bed at night to say my prayers. to pour my heart out to the lord and to give thanks and ask for help and to talk to him. "cry unto the Lord" cast your burdens and ever care, seek guidance and counsel.

and to strive to be in bed and trying to sleep by 1am.

wash
rinse
repeat

those are the goals i am striving for. i know as i do this i will be blessed and it will help me physically and spiritually. i know this is what the Lord wants me to do and i will be blessed in many more ways.

i want to close this off with my Book of Mormon assignment that was due today. what it is, is we are assigned to read chapters and from those chapters to pick a topic, a principal that we feel is important to us -- our Revelation from the set of scriptures we have read. and then to explain what the principal is, what is taken from it that is so important -- why is it in the scriptures, what are we being taught. then to tell how it fits into MY life, not into anyone else's life. how can I grow from this? how does this strengthen ME? i hope you enjoy what i got from it because, it fits right into the goals that i have set for myself.

1) What is the reference of the insight?
Alma 34:17-28, 39

2) What principle or doctrine is taught?
Prayer

3) What message for improvement is taught?
The scriptures give a list of things that should be said in a prayer and how a prayer should be said. 17-to exercise your faith, 18-CRY unto him for mercy, 19-humble yourself, 20-CRY unto to him, 21-for your house hold, at all times, 22- against your enemies, 23- against the devil, 24-to prosper, 25-CRY that the crops of your field may increase, 26- pour out your soul, anywhere, 27-let your heart always be full and carry a prayer everywhere with you, 28- once you do these things and then turn your back on what we should be doing then who are you to say that you have done such things, that you have asked for blessings but won’t do the things to receive them. 39-pray continually, so the temptations of the devil cannot get to you and harm you and bring you down. We are not told just to pray unto the Lord but to CRY unto him. The verses tell us to cry unto the Lord and do those things, to pour out our whole heart and open up and truly ask and do those things.

4) How can I apply this principle, doctrine, or message in my life?
I have struggled in my everyday life with praying; remember to pray and what to say and ask for. I have recently told myself that I am going to improve and do the things that I need to do. Each night this past week I have said my prayers and I have started to already feel repetitive and loosing feeling in my prayers. I am not too happy that that is happening. I am very grateful for the fact that I read these scriptures tonight, I had many questions answered and was reminded of what I need to be saying and thinking when praying. In my prayers I need to talk to my Lord, but not only talk to cry unto him. I need to plea to him with my needs, to truly seek help and guidance where I need it, and I do need lots and help and guidance. I need to always keep my prayer with me, always have that prayer in my heart, and when I do that I will no longer be able to have those temptations of the world and of the devil, for he cannot enter my heart as I have the spirit with me always guiding me and helping me. What a wonderful life and so much better days I would have if I always remember to do that!! I need to also always remember that as I am asking for the help and wanting the blessings that I much remember to always help out and do what the Lord wants of me, for I know that if I want something in my life I need to follow the commandments and serve and do all that the Lord has asked of me, for that will bring even richer blessings into my life. I’m not perfect but I am striving to be, and striving to be what the Lord wants me to be and knows who I am meant to be, and with the guidance given to me in these verses I know that I am can be another step closer.

i encourage all you to take on the challenge .. weather you be in school or not. to strive to be better , strive to be the child of god you were born to be, strive to strengthen yourself, we are not all perfect and far from our goal of Christ like. its an everyday process and i know that as i do this and hope that you do this we will be blessed and we are doing what the lord wants of us and he is smiling and rejoicing in our obedience and our unfailing faith.well i am off to bed ... good thing its a holiday!!good night and god be with you though your everyday tasks, keep that prayer in your heart!!

<3 Erin Christina Elliott