Daily Thoughts

In the Old Testament I read a Messianic prophecy about a Child being born, a Son given, and that He would be a Prince of Peace. Am I the only one who has trouble reading this verse without music from "The Messiah" popping into my head? Isa. 9: 6 "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

In the Book of Mormon I read that we should exercise our faith by praying unto the Lord--at all times and under all circumstances. There is no aspect of our lives that we cannot pray about. But it's not enough to merely pray, we need to act. We need to do whatever we can to serve and help others, or our prayers will be in vain. Alma 34: 17-28 "Therefore may God grant unto you, my brethren, that ye may begin to exercise your faith unto repentance, that ye begin to call upon his holy name, that he would have mercy upon you; Yea, cry unto him for mercy; for he is mighty to save. Yea, humble yourselves, and continue in prayer unto him. Cry unto him when ye are in your fields, yea, over all your flocks. Cry unto him in your houses, yea, over all your household, both morning, mid-day, and evening. Yea, cry unto him against the power of your enemies. Yea, cry unto him against the devil, who is an enemy to all righteousness. Cry unto him over the crops of your fields, that ye may prosper in them. Cry over the flocks of your fields, that they may increase. But this is not all; ye must pour out your souls in your closets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness. Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you. And now behold, my beloved brethren, I say unto you, do not suppose that this is all; for after ye have done all these things, if ye turn away the needy, and the naked, and visit not the sick and afflicted, and impart of your substance, if ye have, to those who stand in need—I say unto you, if ye do not any of these things, behold, your prayer is vain, and availeth you nothing, and ye are as hypocrites who do deny the faith."

Some scriptures with a thought booklet tell us that just as God comforts us in our tribulations, so we should comfort others. In order words, we can help others go through the things we struggle to go through ourselves. The thought that went with this, written by Daisy Bailey from Grabill, Indiana says: The whole incident probably took a mere seven minutes. It was dark and I was driving home late. When I was stopped at a red light, the car behind me hit me with a jolt. Angry, I got out of my car and walked toward an older gentleman to survey the damages. Then I looked into his eyes, and I saw a reflection of my own eyes many years earlier. "I'm sorry. I just came from the hospital, and I was thinking about my sick wife," the distraught man explained. There under the streetlights I touched his arm and asked if I could pray for himl. I prayed for wisdom for the doctor4s and the same grace that I had needed when my husband was in the hospital. I concluded by asking for his safety as he drove hom. "You're like an angel," he whispered. I looked at the undamaged cars, and his rejuvenated face, and said, "God loves you very much." 2 Cor. 1: 3-4 "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God."