To illustrate, I would like to share three personal examples of “urgent” prayers.
First, as a young missionary in the mid-1960s, my companion was severely and mortally injured in a farm accident. As I prayed over his gravely wounded and dying body, I called upon the Lord to spare his life. I felt confident that the Lord would answer my prayers. After all, my companion was a faithful full-time missionary in the service of the Lord, and I had offered an earnest and heartfelt prayer. As I labored over his body, I continued to pray quietly in my heart and mind promising the Lord, “I would dedicate my life in His service if He would just save my companion.” Sadly, my companion was not “spared.” I agonized for days over his loss, but eventually I realized, my companion is now with the Lord, and he is still in His service. But what of my faith and prayers? Did the Lord answer my prayers; or were they offered in vain? Yes, the Lord answered me, but not as I had hoped. They were the selfish prayers of a desperate young man asking for something contrary to the will of the Lord. In the end, the Lord answered according to His will and wisdom.
As time passed, I reflected frequently on the death of my companion and the desperate promise I made to the Lord: “I would dedicate my life in His service if He would just save my companion.” At one fleeting moment, I remember thinking briefly: “I guess I’m off the hook now!” However, it was a foolish thought. Frankly, I was wrong. Events and consequences in this life should have no bearing upon whether or not we should choose the right and serve the Lord. Choosing to serve the Lord is always the correct decision. Making that choice should be independent of life’s consequences. In my case, I knew I had already decided to serve the Lord with all my might. It was a Holy Covenant I had made previously. One I would continue to honor.
Several years later, another significant prayerful event occurred. It was 1974 and we lived in Germany. The Stake Presidency visited our Military Servicemen’s Branch to reorganize the Branch Presidency. In that process, I had the opportunity to be interviewed by the Stake President. It was a great interview. He did not call me to serve in the Branch Presidency, but later in the day, the President asked me to meet with him again. In that second interview, he said: “Brother Edgar, we came here today to reorganize the Presidency of the Bitburg Branch. We did not plan on reorganizing the Elders’ Quorum Presidency. However, it has become clear in my mind that the Lord wants you to serve as the President of the Bitburg Branch Quorum of Elders. Will you accept that calling?” I was certain the Stake President had received inspiration from the Holy Spirit, so I said: “Yes, of course.”
Then, the Stake President added, “our Priesthood Meeting will begin in about 10 minutes and we would like to sustain the new Elders’ Quorum Presidency in that meeting.” He pointed to an empty classroom and added, “will you please go into that room and take about five minutes to pray for the names of two brethren to serve as your counselors in the presidency?”
Wow! I knew the Stake President held priesthood keys. I knew I had just been called by him …and, by inspiration. I knew the Lord answers prayers. I knew I was worthy. And I knew I had five minutes to receive an answer. I remember thinking to myself: “Scott, PAY ATTENTION and learn! Within five minutes, you will receive a revelation!” In fact, there was no need to wait five minutes. As soon as I knelt and began to pray, two distinct names came clearly into my mind.
And another example, in September 2012, my dear wife Kathy and I (with our daughter Sara) were on a train from Germany heading for Grindelwald, Switzerland. The ride took us from Nuremberg to Stuttgart, to Luzern, to Interlaken, and finally into the Swiss Alps to Grindelwald.
Wow, what a beautiful train ride through Switzerland. But the views in Grindelwald were even more breathtaking. From the high Grindelwald valley, we could see clearly the Eiger, the Monch, and the Jungfrau Mountains.
And the valley was one of the most picturesque valleys I’ve ever seen. Tall mountains, trains, chalets, green grass with large grazing cows, and sheep all were laid out like something we’ve seen in “The Sound of Music” or at a fictitious place like Disneyland. But this was the real deal. It was breathtaking.
We stayed in a chalet-like hotel (Hotel Panorama) located about 20 minutes from the train station. It was a beautiful spot with great views from our balcony.
That evening we were hungry, so we went for a walk …in search of a restaurant. From the hotel, we walked along a narrow, paved mountain road for about a half mile before coming upon a lovely hotel/restaurant. We shouldn’t have eaten there, but we were hungry. It was a white tablecloth restaurant featuring a very expensive menu …and I think we were one of very few guests. Anyway, we ordered the food, it came, and it was delicious.
Before we left, Kathy began to feel a little ill. She thought there might have been something she was allergic to in the food, so she took a dose of her Benadryl medication. On the walk back to the chalet, she began to feel worse. By the time we got to our room, she was breaking out in hives over several parts of her body. Her airway was itching and swelling and even the quality of her voice changed. We all became very worried, so Sara began searching the phone book for a local doctor. Soon, Kathy began having difficulty breathing and her condition was getting worse. Sara was able to find an after-hour’s emergency number. She called, but they told us there were no doctors available after hours in Grindelwald, and we should take Kathy to Interlaken for treatment …about 45 minutes away. We didn’t have a car, and buses and trains had stopped for the night. Our only option was to take a taxicab.
Sara called for the cab while all the time Kathy was trembling and seemed to be getting worse. I could tell she was very frightened. As a Registered Nurse (RN), she knew her condition was serious, and she feared she would not survive the taxi drive to Interlaken. At that point, Kathy asked for a Priesthood Blessing. First, we all prayed together, then I administered a blessing as I listened carefully to the spirit. After the blessing, Sara went outside to meet the cab driver. Just minutes later, Kathy became very sick to her stomach and threw up her food. Then, miraculously, her breathing eased, and she began to feel better. I checked her hives, and they were subsiding. She began to relax for the first time since the onset and she sat up in bed. Sara and I still wanted to take her to the hospital, but Kathy felt so much better and insisted that she didn’t need to see a doctor now. She said, “I just want to stay here and sleep. I’m feeling better. I want to relax.” Well, when the taxi arrived, we paid the driver his basic fare and thanked him. Then, we returned to be with Kathy. Later, Sara said that she “has always felt the Spirit most powerfully when there’s a Priesthood Blessings.” And she added, “I think we’ve witnessed a miracle.”
The next day, Kathy was like a new person. She could still feel some of the effect of the hives, but overall, she felt good and wanted to walk about town and see the sights. We took the bus down the valley to Grindelwald, left our bags at the train station, and went off on an adventure walk in and around town.
Does the Lord answer our prayers? Yes, He answers prayers to advance His Great Plan of Happiness, and because He loves us. For me, I have often prayed for what I want, but God always gives me what I need when I need it. I have learned not to question the will nor the wisdom of God. I just make sure my lines of communication are open to Him.
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