Don't Forget to Pray

This morning, I prayed to God for help in taking my Sociology final. Only now, 12 hours after the test was taken, did I remember to thank Him for the help He gave me. And I was mostly only reminded of it because I couldn't thinking anything to blog about. I thought I had tried everything: reflecting on the day's events, watching a General Conference talk, scrolling through dozens of inspirational picture quotes. Then the Spirit reminded me that there was one thing I hadn't done: pray.

So often, I forget to call upon God for help and guidance. And even more often, I forget to thank Him for the blessings I already have. I'm sure He doesn't appreciate my forgetfulness, and neither does my spirituality. I'd probably have a lot more faith and trust in God if I talked with Him more often.

On my mission, I wore a watch that I sometimes set to beep discretely once an hour. It was never so loud or obnoxious that it interrupted anything. It was always just a subtle reminder that an hour had passed since the last time it beeped. I used that watch to remind me to pray, thinking of hymns like "I Need Thee Ev'ry Hour" and "Sweet Hour of Prayer." I wonder if my phone could be set to make some unobtrusive sound once an hour. Perhaps I'll search through its settings tomorrow. In the meantime, I still have the watch from my mission. Its strap is broken, so I can't wear it anymore, so I leave it in the house, but it still beeps on the hour. So at least as long as I'm home, I can have an hourly reminder to pray.

Prayer is powerful. Prayer is helpful. Prayer is good. Prayer is an activity I should engage in more often in my daily life. I'm sure I'd get more blessings if I remembered to thank God for them. I would be happier, and God would be happier, too. Praying could be a wonderfully positive force in my life. If only I would remember to do it.