It is so easy in this busy, sometimes crazy life to feel alone; to feel like no one understands, or cares.

It is easy to believe we are left to ourselves, if we don’t lift our eyes and hearts to God.

And yet, when we take the time to call upon His name, we can know that God is there.

Over the past few months, I have been overwhelmed with the challenges I faced. Focusing on those challenges, my weaknesses, and what seemed hopeless to overcome, I forgot to look up. I wallowed in self-pity, fear, and neglect. I felt alone.

A talk at church reminded me of the importance of kneeling to pray (my prayers had become those horizontal, half-asleep kind you offer if you try to pray lying down). I decided to try it that night, and knelt to pray on my bed, with a talk by our prophet, Thomas S. Monson on in the background because I knew I needed to pray, but couldn’t reach to turn it off.

The worries and concerns that had plagued me filled my heart as I closed my eyes. I had barely bowed my head and spoken the words, “Dear Heavenly Father” when I heard President Monson’s voice speak:

“The Lord will provide the help you need.”

Those exact words, exactly when I needed them most filled my heart with the reassurance that I am not alone. I am not forgotten. Someone understands and cares, and answers the heartfelt prayers of His children when they seek Him, even imperfectly! I do need to do better – kneeling with no distractions helps me focus my prayers better, and hear His replies more clearly! But He heard and answered my heart’s concerns at that moment.

The next day, I got on my knees, and prayed for help, then forced myself to face and deal with the things that I had worried about. One by one, those burdens were lifted. Problems were resolved. Peace was restored, and my heart was filled with joy as I saw God had indeed answered my prayer, and fulfilled the promise He made through His prophet that He would “provide the help [I] need[ed]!”

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles summed it up this way:

“But whenever these moments of our extremity come, we must not succumb to the fear that God has abandoned us or that He does not hear our prayers. He does hear us. He does see us. He does love us. When we are in dire circumstances and want to cry “Where art Thou?” it is imperative that we remember He is right there with us—where He has always been! We must continue to believe, continue to have faith, continue to pray and plead with heaven, even if we feel for a time our prayers are not heard and that God has somehow gone away. He is there. Our prayers are heard.”– Jeffrey R. Holland, “Lessons from Liberty Jail,” Ensign, Sept. 2009, p. 26

I add my witness to his: God is there!

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I have a testimony that I am a daughter of God – that God is my Heavenly Father. I know that Heavenly Father is distinctly aware of me. I know that He loves me. I know that he cares for me.

This knowledge has always been with me – at one level or another. Throughout my life, I’ve been blessed with a great father. He has always been aware of my needs and willing to do everything that he can to help me. However, there is one aspect of our relationship that lacks, and it is our faith. I know that my father respects my religion, but I also know that he doesn’t believe it. Nor does he understand how it has motivated many of the choices I’ve made in life.

As I have gotten older, I have found that I need to rely on my Heavenly Father for this kind of confirmation. I haven’t always felt comfortable explaining that my reasoning for certain decisions have been based in the way that the Spirit has guided me. Again, I don’t fault my father for this. I understand where he is coming from – as he does not have this kind of faith, but these experiences have caused me to gain a special relationship with my Father in Heaven. I have realized that I can go to Him like a Father, and that he will always understand me. I know that He understands my worries, my faith, and my problems.

At one point in my adolescence, I was having a really hard time with my faith. I was not always making the best choices, and I was questioning everything that I had always believed in. However, I was still going to church and going through the motions required.

Around this time, I received a special calling – as a young women (assistant) camp director. When I received this calling, all of the love for my fellow young women and all of the wonderful experiences I had at camp flooded my memory. I distinctly understood that Heavenly Father knew me personally. He loved me, and He didn’t want me to doubt in Him or in the Gospel. I know now that Heavenly Father offered his troubled daughter help – through a special calling. This experience taught me that my Heavenly Father knows me and loves me.

As I’ve gotten older, I have had many other similar experiences. I have found that during times of trial or adversity, Heavenly Father has ways of letting me know, specifically, that He loves me and that He is aware of my needs, worries, and desires. I also have felt that He wants to see me happy.

I know that Heavenly Father is a perfect Father, and that He loves all of His children with a perfect love. I know that the delights in blessing us with His best blessings, and I have often been a grateful recipient of these blessings. I know that Heavenly Father is deeply interested in our causes, and that His entire existence – His entire work and glory – is based on our happiness – on our immortality and eternal life.
I’m so grateful to have this knowledge. The love that I feel from my Heavenly Father causes me to desire righteousness and increased faith. It inspires me to be loving to Him and to my spiritual brothers and sisters. The love that I feel from my Heavenly Father fills me with a sense of peace. I know that I have a Father in Heaven, and I know that He loves me.

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