He is Always There

 

The kids were gathered around us for family home evening.

And by gathered around I mean rolling on and off the couch, feet in the air, poking each other and generally being young children.

I was teaching a lesson on prayer and how we can pray anytime, anywhere. 

We posed the question, “When can we pray?”.

5 and 6 year old Colton and Kyrie began volleying the expected answers. 

For the food.

Before bed.

If Grandma is sick.

At church.

If your teacher tells you to. 

Whoa! What?

My initial reaction was “Group prayer in school? You can’t do that!”

We pressed for more details. 

“Sometimes if kids are having a bad day, Mrs. C (her kindergarten teacher) tells us to stop for a minute and pray for them so they can have a good day too.”

I caught myself.  

And I corrected myself..

No matter the faith.  

No matter the words.

When does Heavenly Father ask us to pray? 

In Alma 34 we learn our prayers are heard in the wilderness, the field and the closet.

In our houses, cities and anytime we are turning to Him rather than the world.

When we are in the midst of congregations or cast out by our enemies.

When we are undergoing our trials and anytime we approach him through our Savior.

When we are praying for our families and our well-being.

Morning, noon or night.

And when we maybe don’t have the words, but our sincere prayers and pleadings are in our hearts.

And after that we seal those prayers by how we treat one another.  

Including how we pray for each other.

Like my daughter had taught us.

I was perfectly okay with my child learning that she could pray for those around her she saw in need.  And for others to pray for her.  

It’s one of the best ways to internalize that we are all brothers and sisters.  

All deserving of love. 

And to embrace the simple truth that He is always there.