Reverent Communication

Cooper gave a talk in Primary yesterday. He was asked to speak the week before, but that pesky strep throat thwarted those plans. The Primary secretary kindly moved his assignment a week. Cooper was not as appreciative as I was. He was nervous. Never mind that he had done a great job in the Primary program a few weeks ago in front of the whole ward, standing in front of his peers made him uneasy.

I got the topic for his talk late in the week, and then we had an adventure on Saturday (which I'll write about once I've sifted through the pictures), so talk writing was put on a back burner.

It's Cooper's practice to come into our room as soon as he wakes up in the morning. On Sunday when he came in I started asking him questions about his topic. Later, minutes before we needed to leave for church, I typed up his answers in paragraph form. The talk that he gave is part him and part me. He practiced it on the twenty minute drive to church. He has a wonderful sense for timing and delivery and did well. I couldn't see his nervousness at all.

And now, the talk:

When I pray, I communicate with Heavenly Father. To communicate is to share information. Talking with someone, writing a letter, and smiling are all ways to communicate. I talk to Heavenly Father when I pray. I tell him what I’m thankful for and I ask for things that my family needs.

When I pray I need to be reverent. That means that I speak and act with respect. I don’t jump around and yell. I speak with a calm and gentle voice. I use kind words. I am still and fold my arms and bow my head when I can. Sometimes I need to say a pray in my heart when I’m somewhere that isn't reverent, like school or the playground. I can still close my eyes and be reverent, even if those around me are not.

Sometimes it’s hard to be reverent. I like to use a loud voice and make people laugh, but I know that Heavenly Father wants me to be respectful and reverent. I love Heavenly Father, so I try to be reverent when I pray to him.

I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.