Answers to Prayer

Jesus revealed a marvelous truth, a consummate insight, when he explained: “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, the same bringeth forth much truth: for without me ye are nothing” (John 15:5). Truly we are nothing without our Lord and Savior. We are nothing without our God and Father. We are at best, as King Benjamin observed, “unprofitable servants” (Mosiah 2:21; compare Luke 17:10). Save there had been a plan of redemption, an atoning sacrifice, a means of recovery and renewal, even “all our righteousness” are as filthy rags: (Isaiah 64:6). Such revelations are in no way intended to discourage us, to create within us feelings of futility; rather, it is important that we live and move and have our being clothed in a mantle of humility. To be humble is to see things as they really are, to see God as He really is. To be humble is to be surrendered to the truth that we are human, mortal, finite, and imperfect, while he toward whom we press is immortal, infinite, perfect, and glorified. To be humble is to be ever aware of the chasm between us and our Creator, between us and him who was sent to save us.

“Be thou humble,” the Lord counseled President Thomas B. Marsh and, by extension, of each one of us, “and the Lord thy God shall take thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers (Doctrine & Covenants 112:10). We are humbled to the truth that we cannot be independent of powers greater than we are. We are humbled by the truth that we must, absolutely must, look to God in order to live. And we are driven to our knees as we comprehend the truth that all our days on this earth—and for aught we know, perhaps even those days ahead beyond the veil of death—we are required to call upon the Father in the name of the Son for everything we have and are and ever hope to become.

We live in a constant state of dependence. And yet as we “grow up in the Lord” (Helaman 31:21); we sense that such dependence is not a bad thing at all. In fact it is quite a marvelous thing indeed, for through relying upon Christ, wholly (2 Nephi 31:19; Moroni 6:4), we come to rely upon his enabling, sustaining powers, and by this means our God transfers weakness into strength (2 Corinthians 12:9-10; Ether 12:27). “And inasmuch as you have humbled yourselves before me, the blessings of the kingdom are yours” (Doctrine & Covenants 6:37). We pray and God answers. We thereby learn, are reminded, are chastened, are comforted, are challenged, are strengthened, and inspired. ~~~ Robert L. Millet, “Talking with God” p, 37-38.    (continued. . . .)