How to give a spiritual thought

 

If you have ever been asked to give a special thought and were lost as to how to do so this is the article for you. Yes, it is true that giving a spiritual thought is nerve racking, but only when you do not have anything prepared and have no idea what to share. The trick with spiritual thoughts is to keep in mind that they are just as the name entails. It is a thought that penetrates the mind and the heart. It is a thought that makes people want to act on the short, quick, and sweet spiritual thought that you are testifying of. There are three simple things one must do to learn how to give a spiritual thought: pray, study, and share. 

First, you must pray. Praying before you study the scriptures sets the tone for your reading. It allows you to speak to Heavenly Father and gather your thoughts. Asking for the help to understand and learn that the scriptures are true, gives a purpose to your reading. It also helps you invite the Holy Ghost so that it may be with you as you study. Once invited, the spirit will guide and help you as you read. 

Second, you must highlight and mark important verses in your daily scripture study. As you read, you will find that a certain scripture or verse will almost jump out of the page for you. When you come upon a verse or verses that you just cannot seem to stop reading or that just tugs at your heart when you read, mark it!  This helps you build a testimony and knowledge of a variety of gospel principles that the prophets in the scriptures have witnessed. 

As you read the scriptures, you will be led and touched by the spirit to highlight certain verses. Then label the highlighted verses with the gospel principle that it testifies of or a phrase that it is about. For instance, when I was younger and was reading Ether 12:27, my chest burned with the assurance that God gives us weaknesses so that we may come to Him humbly for help. That feeling in my chest was the spirit testifying to me that what I was reading was true. As you read your scriptures daily with a desire to learn more of Christ and His teachings, I promise you that you too will experience a similar, if not an exact, witness from the Holy Ghost that what you read is true. 

Third, you share the scripture that you have marked and give a sweet and short testimony of the importance of the verse or how you know that it is true and why. Remember that a spiritual thought is a witness or testimony about what you have learned for yourself from reading it. Usually the spirit would lead you to share with others, so that they may in turn learn it for themselves once they hear it or will make them want to mark it later to read it and get the same witnesses that you’ve had from the spirit as well. Always remember that the less you say the more the spirit has time to witness your thoughts to those listening which means— keep your thoughts simple!

You are now prepared to put this into action! Yes, speaking in public is challenging, but once you have done the first two steps the third step will come easily, especially with God’s help. The spirit is with us when we have a desire to testify of gospel principles that we have learned for ourselves because that is the fruits of the spirit.