Wendy Watson Nelson wrote:
The adversary sometimes uses unbelievably sophisticated ways to disguise himself and his traps. But the Holy Ghost can identify every whiff of evil. So, what can we do to have the Spirit of the Lord with us? Let me offer four suggestions:
- Increase the intensity and frequency with which we pray for the companionship of the Holy Ghost. Many women have found that by praying at crucial times for His companionship, profound changes occurred. What were the crucial times? After praying in the morning for the Spirit to be with them throughout the day, as these women encountered any tempting, trying or difficult situation they prayed in that very moment for the Spirit to be with them. They visualized the Holy Ghost being right there by them and then followed through on what they felt drawn to do, say, or feel. They experienced the guidance of the Spirit in ways they never had before.
- Increase the earnestness and frequency of our pleadings to learn how he personally speaks to us. If you’re not sure how it feels or sounds when He’s talking to you, ask for Him to teach you how to recognize his promptings. He may not speak to you through a burning in your bosom. He may speak to you through a line of a hymn that comes to your mind, disquieting feelings that persist, flashes of ideas you’ve never considered before, or scriptural passages that seem exclusively written for you.
- Decrease the time between receiving an instruction and acting on it. The Holy Ghost is eager to help us. Showing Him that we’re grateful for His guidance by actually following through on His promptings will increase our ability to receive even more.
- Toss out, turn off, quit purchasing, and stop participating in anything that would prevent His companionship. By the way, we can quickly tell which thoughts, feelings, behaviors, videos, Internet activities, TV offerings, books, magazines, clothes, and music need to be discarded—because the Spirit will flee in the presence of anything that offends Him. We can simply ask ourselves: Can the Spirit be with me when I watch, wear, do, hear, read, think, or feel the following? If the answer is “No,” we know what to do. We need to create an environment in our homes, minds, and hearts where He will want to be. Where He can be!
~Wendy Watson Nelson, (Above selection from the book “A Year of Powerful Prayer” (Deseret Book 2013) 170-71
