36 Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever. 37 Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day. [ALMA 37:36-37]
These are some very choice verses of counsel from Alma (the younger) to his son Helaman. In my own life, I’ve come to believe and know that these verses, along with (v35)—about learning to keep the commandments—will have the greatest and immediate impact your life beginning today…even right now.
God is Listening
Alma knows all about crying unto God for support and also the importance of, whatever you do and wherever you go in life, making sure that you have the Spirit of the Lord with you always and in all ways. Some may mock and think this is too much effort every day, or always, but Alma knows that the devil desires to destroy each of us and that the best, fastest way to do so is to separate us from the Spirit of God. Therefore, if we continually strive to call upon the Lord for ALL of our support (needs) and our deeds, we will succeed in enduring and overcoming all evils. This is also why we are commanded to “pray always” so that we have the Spirit of the Lord with us always, so we are never alone, or outnumbered by opposition.
Thoughts and Desires
Alma also knows the importance of having and maintaining righteous thoughts and desires (affections). This world is full of distractions and attractions that will try to detour you from the Lord and His blessings. Alma has not forgotten the tender mercies of God is delivering him (and the sons of Mosiah) from the detour caused by their evil ways (thoughts and desires). As such, he wants to be sure that Helaman knows the value of being virtuous in though, word, desire and deed.
Consistent Counsel
Alma also wants Helaman (and you and me) to know that the Lord doesn’t just want to be a random, or temporary part of lives…only when we need help, or guidance, but to be with us ALWAYS, so that He can both guide and guard us with His Spirit ALWAYS. Think about where you’d be in life if you didn’t have the ability to counsel with the Lord in all your doings, or having His Holy Spirit to guide you? And if you are, or will be a parent, how valuable is this counsel for your children to learn as early as possible?
Sweet Dreams
I also find it interesting and inspiring that Alma is teaching his son the importance of not just a prayer of protection before bedtime—and I believe “protection” also includes helping us to relax our racing thoughts and be calm enough to fall asleep and trust that there will be a tomorrow to wake up to—but also the important of that morning prayer to start the day. And not just a prayer of help with all the things you have to to do that day, but the very first thing is to “let your heart be full of thanks” that you have another day to live and that the Lord will be with you to guide and guard you!
May we each heed Alma’s reinforcing and encouraging counsel to his son and use it in our lives beginning right now. I testify that it will begin to not only change your life for the better, but bring you closer to the Lord and help you to accomplish and become all you were created to do and to be.