Believe In Healing

Believe In Healing

(for parents of a wayward child or spouse of a wayward companion )

by Barbara Matson

1 Nephi 17:18

And thus my brethren did complain against me, and were desirous that they might no labor, for they did not believe that I could build a ship;, neither would they believe that I was instructed of the Lord.

Mark 9 17-29

a father brought his son to Jesus and explained that “he teareth him; and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away; and I spake to the disciples that they should cast him out, and they could not.'He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you; how long shall I suffer you? Bring him unto me. …

Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help though mine unbelief.”

then Jesus rebuked the foul spirit and the spirit cried and left him. And the boy was like he was dead but Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him u; and he arose. When the disciples asked him privately, why they could not cast him out, Jesus said “this kind can come forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting.

Matt. 17:20-21

of this same incident in Matthew it is recorded.

19: then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, why could not we cast him out?

And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief for verily I say unto you, If you have faith as a grain of mustard see, ye shall say unto this mountain , remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.”

When Jesus was met by the leader of the synagogue who's daughter was dead, Jesus said “be not afraid, only believe” then he went to the house and although there were scoffers who laughed him to scorn, he told her to arise and she arose and walked.

We can figuratively, bring them to Christ and ask that he cast out the evil from them. Our part is to BELIEVE! Really believe with all our hearts and not lose faith even if it takes a long time for this process to happen. Free agency plays a part in this. But, all things are possible to him that believeth.

Faith is a principle, Believing is the action we take when we have faith. Faith is not valid if we do not believe.

John 17:I 

pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

Another great talk on belief is “Do I Believe?” by Bonnie L. Oscarson April '16

“We have a knowledge of these things, but do we believe them? If these things are true, then we have the greatest message of hope and help that the world has ever known. Believing th;em is a matter if eternal significance for us and for those we love.

To believe, we need to get the gospel from our heads into our hearts!”

As a parent of one who has strayed into unbelief we find ourselves in a desperate situation much like the father who brought his son to Jesus when he was possessed of a devil.

When our child, son or daughter, denies Christ and all that they have been taught are they not also possessed of the devil. Does he not direct their thinking?

President Uchtdorf explains it like this:

“Be Not Afraid, Only Believe” by Pres. Uchtdorf Oct. 15

another of Satan’s deceptions; that belief is available to some people but not to others. There is no magic to belief. But wanting to believe is the necessary first step! God is no respecter of persons. He is your Father. He wants to speak to you. However, it requires a little scientific curiosity—it requires an experiment upon the word of God-- and the exercise of a “particle of faith” It also takes a little humility. And it requires an open heart and an open mind. It requires seeking, in the full meaning of the word. And, perhaps hardest of all, it requires being patient and waiting upon the Lord. If we make no effort to to believe, we are like the man who unplugs a spotlight and then blames the spotlilght for not giving any light.

...Brethren, let me be clear; there is nothing noble or impressive about being cynical. Skepticism is easy—anyone can do it. It is the faithful life that requires moral strength, dedication, and courage. Those who hold fast to faith are far more impressive than those who give in to doubt when mysterious questions or concerns arise.”

How should we pray for them? Follow the example of Jesus in the Lord's prayer. “Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil”. We can and should always pray that our loved ones will be protected from Satan and that the evil one will not have power over them.

Rather than having our list of things we want the Lord to do we should be asking what we should do and how? If we have an idea then we should go to him and ask if it is right? Then proceed with faith, believing in His word.

Remember to fast. Fast often and sincerely, Fast in the best way that you can.

Then, Pray, often and sincerely, on your knees, on your feet in your chair but listen to the answers. The answers will most often be found in the scriptures. Spend time searching them daily. Don't just read them. Search them. Connect scriptures by subject to each other and to the conference talks which explain these things in easy to understand language for us.

Effective prayer is not a “To Do” of things we have decided we want God to do for us” It is not constant incessantly begging, begging and pleading. It is asking in faith and believing. It is followed by trust and action on our part. It is trusting in God. It is continual prayer but not panicked begging as we first might do, that has to find and end as we learn to believe and to be grateful for every blessing along the way. It is taking action to do our part.

Mighty prayer are said in the temple. Go there. Do it. Have faith, believe. Pray for yourself that you can bear this burden and then remember the 11^th article of faith. Allow all men, (even our own children or spouse) to worship according to the dictates of their own conscience. But never give up hope in your heart. Continue with mighty prayer and fasting and believe!

Remember this quote from Vaugh J. Featherstone of the Seventy

“I promise you that all who faithfully attend to temple work will be blessed beyond measure. Your family will draw closer to the Lord, unseen angels will watch over your loved ones when satanic forces tempt them, the veil will be thin and great spiritual experiences will distill upon this people.”

They will come back. We hope sooner instead of later but we must be kind and loving to those who hurt us so deeply with their unbelief.

Now be grateful. Be grateful for every step and tiny drop of progress and mercy that we receive. Gratitude can heal our hearts. It is not God's plan to take away agency but it is His plan that we all make it back to Him if we choose.

Pres. Uchtdorf, April '14 conference

Grateful in Any Circumstance

We can choose to be grateful, no matter what, ...When we are grateful to God in our circumstances, we can experience gentle peace in the midst of tribulation. In grief, we can still lift up our hearts in praise. In pain, we can glory in Christ’s atonement. In the cold of bitter sorrow, we can experience the closeness and warmth of heaven's embrace. We sometimes think that being grateful is what we do after our problems are solved, but how terribly shortsighted that is, How much of life do we miss by waiting to see the rainbow before thanking God that there is rain”

Being grateful in times of distress does not mean that we are pleased with our circumstances. It does mean that through the eyes of faith we look beyond our present-day challenges. This is not a gratitude of the lips but of the soul. It is a gratitude that heals the heart and expands the mind.

This is a parent's trial every bit as much as a wayward son or daughter or spouse's trial. God knows that you will help them find their way back. You will do all you can. Perhaps that is why he gave them to you, because he knows you and that you care and will do everything you can to help them along the way back to Him.

If you want his direction then search his words daily with sincere prayer. It is more important that eating and definitely more important that TV or facebook. We all have time to seek his direction. Allow yourself a good measure of time to do this.

These trials should make us become better people. We can only really control our own selves and that is only to a certain extent. We can control our attitude and our hearts. We can make it back to Him! We can be an example of righteousness and of a pure heart.

1- Pray mighty personal prayers. Participate in temple prayers.

2- Ask questions, Listen, act.

3-Fast seriously and sincerely for a purpose

4-Believe, really believe, like a mustard seed! -Trust the Lord

5-Be grateful