Life is busy. Sometimes it’s so busy we think there’s no way we could make room for one more thing. But what if that one thing can help us with everything else on our plate? That’s right, we’re talking about inspiration. When we seek for inspiration in our lives, it can bless us more than we imagined. We can receive guidance about what to do or who to help. We can discover opportunities for growth or paths we didn’t know existed. And we can find peace during times when it all seems like too much.
So, with all we have going on in our lives, how do we make room for inspiration? Here are five ways to get started.
1. Make Room in Your Home
As you begin your quest to make room for inspiration in your life, make room in your home! Just as Joseph Smith went to a sacred, quiet space to receive inspiration, we can follow his example and create our own “sacred grove” right in our home! Have a quiet, sacred space, separate from where you do your other daily activities. Making room in your home can be done in many different ways. Whether you have a separate room in your home dedicated to study, or you simply play instrumental church music as you ponder, your home can always be a place to receive divine direction.
2. Make Room in Your Schedule
Making time in your busy schedule to study the word of God can sometimes be tricky. When life gets in the way of what matters most, it becomes hard to receive the inspiration we so desperately need. It is important to set aside time in your day to do the things that draw you closer to the Spirit. Whether you have 30 minutes to study in the morning or 2 minutes to read a few verses in between tasks, it all helps! Setting aside time, even just a little, will allow you to get into the habit of being in a place to receive revelation and inspiration. You will recognize a difference in the way you act, think, and feel. When you make time for Heavenly Father, He will make time for you—and bless you immensely!
3. Make Room in Your Book
When inspiration comes, we should take note of how we feel! That’s why we created study helps that give you room to write. Our Journaling Edition scriptures provide 3-inch margins, while our Study Edition scriptures have 1.5-inch margins on each page. Our hope is that these books will give you a dedicated space to write down the revelation and inspiration you receive—a sacred place to record your thoughts, feelings, and impressions. You can make your book your own personal record of revelation as you utilize the margins to write down the promptings you receive. Additionally, your book will become a personal record for your family to cherish and learn from in years to come.
4. Make Room in Your Life
Making room in your life for inspiration doesn’t mean simply marking “scripture study” off the to-do list and moving on. It includes pondering how you can apply what inspiration you receive to who you are and what you do. The choices and decisions you make in your daily life will overtime reflect the principles of what you learned in your study. The Holy Ghost will be your teacher as you ponder and reflect on how you can act upon the guidance you receive, and in turn become more like our Savior.
5. Make Room in Your Heart
Opening up your heart to receive inspiration is crucial for your growth. Heavenly Father wants us to look to Him for guidance, but it is up to us to open our hearts and let Him in. Making room in your heart for inspiration begins with desire. When you have the desire to receive divine direction, pray for it, and then recognize when you receive it, you will receive more. As you take time to ponder about how you can improve, who you can help, and what mission Heavenly Father needs you to accomplish for Him, you will be made an instrument in His hands. He will help you know what you can do in each aspect of your life to grow, improve and become more like Him.
A Life of Inspiration
In his April 2013 General Conference address, Elder Richard G. Scott said “Each of us must stay in condition to respond to the inspiration and the promptings of the Holy Ghost. The Lord has a way of pouring pure intelligence into our minds to prompt us, to guide us, to teach us, and to warn us. Each son or daughter of God can know the things they need to know instantly.” So, as we continue on this mortal journey, let’s do what we need to do to make room for inspiration. We have a loving Heavenly Father who is ever present to help, guide, love, and inspire us!
By Aubree Harper