"And behold, ye shall meet together oft; and ye shall not forbid any man from coming unto you when ye shall meet together, but suffer them that they may come unto you and forbid them not;
But ye shall pray for them, and shall not cast them out; and if it so be that they come unto you oft ye shall pray for them unto the Father, in my name.
Therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up—that which ye have seen me do. Behold ye see that I have prayed unto the Father, and ye all have witnessed."
3 Nephi 18:22-24
I like how God reminds us that church isn't an exclusive members-only club. It's a place to learn about God and grow closer to him... to feel his spirit. And if non-members want to come and join us, then that is great... amazingly great. We shouldn't forbid them from coming, even if they aren't dressed exactly the way we think they should be, and even if they ask strange questions in Sunday School. :) Instead, we should pray for them. :) This is one way of being an example... helping the people around us, and holding the light of God for others to see. One way that we do that is specifically prayer, which Christ mentions a couple of times in this selection. I think prayer is one of the ways that we gain access to the light, and then blessing and serving others allows it to emanate through us... which is always a cool idea. Being part of God in that way... being able to hold him up for others, and have access to that power and that truth. Knowing that people can feel God's spirit when we teach his word and stay close to him. It's part of being connected to God and building his kingdom, and it is an amazing feeling. One that starts with consistent prayer.
Today, let's meet, and pray, and welcome others to meet and pray with us. Let's pray for each other, and let's study and learn more about God and the gospel so that we can help others understand it as well.
But ye shall pray for them, and shall not cast them out; and if it so be that they come unto you oft ye shall pray for them unto the Father, in my name.
Therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up—that which ye have seen me do. Behold ye see that I have prayed unto the Father, and ye all have witnessed."
3 Nephi 18:22-24
I like how God reminds us that church isn't an exclusive members-only club. It's a place to learn about God and grow closer to him... to feel his spirit. And if non-members want to come and join us, then that is great... amazingly great. We shouldn't forbid them from coming, even if they aren't dressed exactly the way we think they should be, and even if they ask strange questions in Sunday School. :) Instead, we should pray for them. :) This is one way of being an example... helping the people around us, and holding the light of God for others to see. One way that we do that is specifically prayer, which Christ mentions a couple of times in this selection. I think prayer is one of the ways that we gain access to the light, and then blessing and serving others allows it to emanate through us... which is always a cool idea. Being part of God in that way... being able to hold him up for others, and have access to that power and that truth. Knowing that people can feel God's spirit when we teach his word and stay close to him. It's part of being connected to God and building his kingdom, and it is an amazing feeling. One that starts with consistent prayer.
Today, let's meet, and pray, and welcome others to meet and pray with us. Let's pray for each other, and let's study and learn more about God and the gospel so that we can help others understand it as well.
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