What up what up! This week I have my first talk in my mission! I was trying to go the full two years but I got caught and now I’m assigned to give another in April ha, so close.

We got called the night before to fill in for someone so it was last minute but the topics were on prophets and the 21 day challenge which was a challenge issued by M. Russell Ballard to help members get in the habit of praying for people and missionary opportunities.

My topic was the 21 day challenge because I’ve been utilizing it throughout my mission and wanted to share personal experiences with doing it.

I wanted to share a little bit from my talk because we hadn’t really had anything big happen this week plus I found some really cool insights studying from it. 

I titled the talk “By Name” because the whole challenge is based off of praying for people by name and the importance behind it.

When you look back at several events in the Bible and Book of Mormon you see that the Lord called people by name and we preform ordinances “in the name of” because it’s specific towards that person. Your name is significant, it identifies who YOU are.

When Joseph Smith had the first vision, God the Father and Jesus Christ called Joseph by name for several reasons, and one of which was to show that our prayers are heard and our answers are specific to us.

The Lord knows us, he knows our struggles, he knows our desires, and he knows what can help us. 

With that being said, our trials are meant to build us and strengthen us so we may help others. “And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 22:39).

We are asked to love our neighbor and we may do that through giving advice, sharing testimonies, comforting, uplifting, serving, etc. But we each have the ability to impact the lives of people around us.

I want you to think about someone in your life that has greatly impacted you and what they did that made such a great impact. Then think of someone in your life currently that may be struggling. What have you done to help them?

We have the same opportunity to impact their life, just as the person did that impacted your life. Now situations vary and there may not be much we can do, but that’s why the 21 day challenge is so great because all it is is praying for people by name for 21 consecutive days every morning and night.

When we focus our prayers on specific people rather than generalizing them, then the Lord focuses specific blessings. There is so much power behind prayer!

I’ll end with a quote from Elder David A. Bednar in an October 2008 General Conference talk titled, “Pray Always.” 

“Petitioning Heavenly Father for the blessings we desire in our personal lives is good and proper. However, praying earnestly for others, both those whom we love and those who despitefully use us, is also an important element of meaningful prayer. Just as expressing gratitude more often in our prayers enlarges the conduit for revelation, so praying for others with all of the energy of our souls increases our capacity to hear and to heed the voice of the Lord.”

I would invite y’all to make your own personal list of people you can impact and pray for and watch the blessings that are being prepared to receive.

I love you all and I hope you have a great week!

Love, 

Elder Summers