I have been praying to Heavenly Father for months now for my friend that I live with to find faith and to stop swearing. It seems the more I pray and ask Heavenly Father to help her, the more she swears. Is it because she is rebelling or what? I beleive in the LDS church, and have attended, but was not baptized yet, and she dislikes the church very much. I have been taught by sister missionaries, and love them and the church. I am so fortunate that Heavenly Father put the sisters and I in the right place at the right time to be able to meet. I have more faith than either in my Heavenly Father. Thank you, Ps. Merry Christmas!
2 Responses to “I have been praying to Heavenly Father for months now for my…”
Pamela Dean Bonta
2012-01-03 19:24:08
We are taught that the only one that we ca change is ourselves. We can support others, be examples to them, encourage them... But we cannot change them. Neither can we force someone to have faith in anything. Intead of praying for her to change, perhaps you could pray for what you can do to be a better role model an support for her, how you can broach the subject with her of how her swearing bothers you without making her feel defensive, and how to explain that you have a testimony and it is okay that she doesn't - one of Articles of Faith states that we allow all to worship as they may, even when they don't worship at all. Remember that we are all at different levels of spiritual progression. When your friend sees that this is important to you and you will not back down, she may gain more respect for your beliefs. Another thing you could do is to pray for her heart to be softened so that she is open to hearing the message, rather than praying that she has faith. Faith can't come until the ears and the heart are open to the message. Congratulations on your upcoming baptism.
Theodore Suhaka
2012-01-02 18:11:27
Hello there, Good to hear from you! As to your question: God can and has worked many mighty miracles. There is one thing He does not do, though, and that is to deprive anyone of their freedom of choice. Spiritual growth and progression cannot take place unless that freedom to choose remains inviolate.
God wont force your friend to change. But He can help you to change for the better if that's what you really want. So focus on your own spiritual journey first, because it's only when you are on "higher ground" that you can help lift others.
The next step in your growth as a child of God will be to gain a more powerful testimony of The Lord's Restored Church, so that you will desire to be baptised, and then to receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost. If you join the Church and remain faithful, you will be further enlightened and empowered so as to be better able to help your friend.
Let her see you have the faith and courage to move forward by making a firm commitment to your Heavenly Father and to your Savior, Jesus Christ. After doing so, your faith, hope and charity will increase and then, who knows, your friend may want to follow when she sees the confidence and joy you've gained.
Nevertheless, she will still have her own freedom of choice to follow the path of freedom and light, or to follow the path that leads to oppression and darkness. But even if she chooses the "sad path, " God will always love her and never give up on her till the end of time.
God wont force your friend to change. But He can help you to change for the better if that's what you really want. So focus on your own spiritual journey first, because it's only when you are on "higher ground" that you can help lift others.
The next step in your growth as a child of God will be to gain a more powerful testimony of The Lord's Restored Church, so that you will desire to be baptised, and then to receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost. If you join the Church and remain faithful, you will be further enlightened and empowered so as to be better able to help your friend.
Let her see you have the faith and courage to move forward by making a firm commitment to your Heavenly Father and to your Savior, Jesus Christ. After doing so, your faith, hope and charity will increase and then, who knows, your friend may want to follow when she sees the confidence and joy you've gained.
Nevertheless, she will still have her own freedom of choice to follow the path of freedom and light, or to follow the path that leads to oppression and darkness. But even if she chooses the "sad path, " God will always love her and never give up on her till the end of time.