"The ability to qualify for, receive, and act on personal revelation is the single most important skill that can be acquired in this life. Qualifying for the Lord’s Spirit begins with a desire for that Spirit and implies a certain degree of worthiness. Keeping the commandments, repenting, and renewing covenants made at baptism lead to the blessing of always having the Lord’s Spirit with us. Making and keeping temple covenants also adds spiritual strength and power to a woman’s life. Many answers to difficult questions are found by reading the scriptures because the scriptures are an aid to revelation. Insight found in scripture accumulates over time, so it is important to spend some time in the scriptures every day. Daily prayer is also essential to having the Lord’s Spirit with us. Those who earnestly seek help through prayer and scripture study often have a paper and pencil nearby to write questions and record impressions and ideas.
"...It requires a conscious effort to diminish distractions, but having the Spirit of revelation makes it possible to prevail over opposition and persist in faith through difficult days and essential routine tasks. Personal revelation gives us the understanding of what to do every day to increase faith and personal righteousness, strengthen families and homes, and seek those who need our help. Because personal revelation is a constantly renewable source of strength, it is possible to feel bathed in help even during turbulent times.
"We are told to put our trust in that Spirit which leads us “to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously.” We are also told that this Spirit will enlighten our minds, fill our souls with joy, and help us know all things we should do. Promised personal revelation comes when we ask for it, prepare for it, and go forward in faith, trusting that it will be poured out upon us.
"...When we have done our very best, we may still experience disappointments, but we will not be disappointed in ourselves. We can feel certain that the Lord is pleased when we feel the Spirit working through us."
--Julie B. Beck, “And upon the Handmaids in Those Days Will I Pour Out My Spirit,” April 2010.
If I'm entirely honest the Spirit has not always filled my soul with joy. One of my trademark symptoms of a spiritual prompting is that I will suddenly get angry or filled with apprehension. When my pride or sense of self-interest rises up that quickly, I know it is a bodily reaction to the Spirit telling me to do something I don't want to do. It hasn't been quite that extreme in the past couple of years, I think, because I've learned to better identify a prompting and follow through with it. Sometimes that means sucking up any disappointment or fear of it going badly. One thing is sure, I can't be disappointed in myself for following through with those things, even when they were painful. The Lord has blessed me with that feeling that he is pleased when I have worked with the guidance of the Holy Ghost.
I wonder if I listen to the Spirit enough, though. I'm in a position where I have stewardship over Young Women, and need inspiration in how to help them. I'm also in an interesting place in that I don't feel any push to look for men to date. I obviously still want to get married, but I'm happy where I am right now, and the last couple of times I've had an opportunity to date someone, the Spirit has told me emphatically not to pursue it. I can't expect that kind of forcefulness every time, but I have grown used to it, particularly as regards my dating life. What direction is God trying to push me in? I've been thinking along different lines lately, but the last thing I want is to jump to some unorthodox conclusion without the confirmation of the Spirit. Life is so confusing, isn't it? Just take it as it comes, I suppose. I trust the Lord, and I know that since He's provided bumpers before, He will again to keep me from falling into any pit. It's just hard to know where to be proactive and where to just be content with how things are.
"...It requires a conscious effort to diminish distractions, but having the Spirit of revelation makes it possible to prevail over opposition and persist in faith through difficult days and essential routine tasks. Personal revelation gives us the understanding of what to do every day to increase faith and personal righteousness, strengthen families and homes, and seek those who need our help. Because personal revelation is a constantly renewable source of strength, it is possible to feel bathed in help even during turbulent times.
"We are told to put our trust in that Spirit which leads us “to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously.” We are also told that this Spirit will enlighten our minds, fill our souls with joy, and help us know all things we should do. Promised personal revelation comes when we ask for it, prepare for it, and go forward in faith, trusting that it will be poured out upon us.
"...When we have done our very best, we may still experience disappointments, but we will not be disappointed in ourselves. We can feel certain that the Lord is pleased when we feel the Spirit working through us."
--Julie B. Beck, “And upon the Handmaids in Those Days Will I Pour Out My Spirit,” April 2010.
If I'm entirely honest the Spirit has not always filled my soul with joy. One of my trademark symptoms of a spiritual prompting is that I will suddenly get angry or filled with apprehension. When my pride or sense of self-interest rises up that quickly, I know it is a bodily reaction to the Spirit telling me to do something I don't want to do. It hasn't been quite that extreme in the past couple of years, I think, because I've learned to better identify a prompting and follow through with it. Sometimes that means sucking up any disappointment or fear of it going badly. One thing is sure, I can't be disappointed in myself for following through with those things, even when they were painful. The Lord has blessed me with that feeling that he is pleased when I have worked with the guidance of the Holy Ghost.
I wonder if I listen to the Spirit enough, though. I'm in a position where I have stewardship over Young Women, and need inspiration in how to help them. I'm also in an interesting place in that I don't feel any push to look for men to date. I obviously still want to get married, but I'm happy where I am right now, and the last couple of times I've had an opportunity to date someone, the Spirit has told me emphatically not to pursue it. I can't expect that kind of forcefulness every time, but I have grown used to it, particularly as regards my dating life. What direction is God trying to push me in? I've been thinking along different lines lately, but the last thing I want is to jump to some unorthodox conclusion without the confirmation of the Spirit. Life is so confusing, isn't it? Just take it as it comes, I suppose. I trust the Lord, and I know that since He's provided bumpers before, He will again to keep me from falling into any pit. It's just hard to know where to be proactive and where to just be content with how things are.
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