The Million Dollar question was never answered by the ten cent prayer.

Based off the title of this blog it might seem like I'm going to talk about prayer, but you would be wrong. I wanna discuss the principle behind this statement. I wanna talk about the price that we need to pay in order to gain access to God's power, specifically the power of his Priesthood. In the 17th chapter of Matthew we read about about a man and his afflicted child. Apparently this man's child was afflicted with some sort of devil. He approached the Apostles requesting that they heal the boy, and, based off his conversation with the Master, the Apostles were unable to heal the boy. The Apostles were confused by inability to do so and they inquired of the Savior as to why the were unable. With seeming indignation, the Savior tells his Apostles that they lacked faith, and that they only way they were going to be able to access God's power to heal was through prayer and fasting.

I can recall times in my life where I have neglected to do all that I can to access God's power. I think I have assumed that just because I have the authority to use the Priesthood that I can simply put my hands on someones head and perform a miracle. At times, I neglect to fast and pray, thereby showing my Heavenly Father that I truly want to work miracles. I think, at times, I am too casual about holding the Priesthood. Certainly these miracles can only occur when they coincide with the will of our Heavenly father, and when those participating have a sufficient amount of faith. I think that faith isn't solely demonstrated during the few minutes of a blessing. Faith is demonstrated as we attempt to utilize every available means we have to solve our own problems. We seek the counsel of others, consult physicians, prayer without ceasing, fast, and prove to God that we want to be healed because "we are saved by Grace after all that we can do."

I am so grateful to live in a time where we have so much access to information. I am so grateful to live in a time where we have so many resources to solve our own problems. I am also so grateful to know that when after I have tried all that I can our God has ordained servants to administer to us to comforts, counsel, and heal us of our afflictions. As you and I consider the process by which God heal us, I hope we will never think that it is a passive process, but one in which we must use our agency to act, and not be acted upon.