Pray Always

My message in the last general conference focused upon the gospel principle of asking in faith in prayer. Today I want to discuss three additional principles that can help our prayers become more meaningful, and I pray for the assistance of the Holy Ghost for me and for you.

Principle #1. Prayer becomes more meaningful as we counsel with the Lord in all our doings (see Alma 37:37).

Principle #2. Prayer becomes more meaningful as we express heartfelt gratitude.

Principle #3. Prayer becomes more meaningful as we pray for others with real intent and a sincere heart.

(To read the entire talk, click here)

Ask In Faith

I invite the Holy Ghost to assist us as we consider a principle that can help our prayers become more meaningful—the gospel principle of asking in faith.

I want to review three examples of asking in faith in meaningful prayer and discuss the lessons we can learn from each one of them. As we speak of prayer, I emphasize the word meaningful. Simply saying prayers is quite a different thing from engaging in meaningful prayer. I expect that all of us already know that prayer is essential for our spiritual development and protection. But what we know is not always reflected in what we do. And even though we recognize the importance of prayer, all of us can improve the consistency and efficacy of our personal and family prayers.

(To read the entire talk, click here)

Praying to Our Heavenly Father

• What Is Prayer?

Prayer is one of the greatest blessings we have while we are here on earth. Through prayer we can communicate with our Heavenly Father and seek His guidance daily.

• Why Do We Pray?

Prayer has been an important part of the gospel from the beginning of the world. An angel of the Lord commanded Adam and Eve to repent and call upon God in the name of the Son (see Moses 5:8). This commandment has never been taken away. Prayer will help us draw closer to God. All of our thoughts, our words, and our actions are influenced by our prayers.

• When Should We Pray?

At times we may not feel like praying. We may be angry or discouraged or upset. At these times we should make a special effort to pray (see 2 Nephi 32:8–9).

• How Should We Pray?

As we pray to our Heavenly Father, we should tell Him what we really feel in our hearts, confide in Him, ask Him for forgiveness, plead with Him, thank Him, express our love for Him. We should not repeat meaningless words and phrases (see Matthew 6:7–8). We should always ask that His will be done, remembering that what we desire may not be best for us (see 3 Nephi 18:20). At the end of our prayer, we close in the name of Jesus Christ (see 3 Nephi 18:19).

• How Are Prayers Answered?

Often God gives us the power to help answer our own prayers. As we pray for help, we should do all we can to bring about the things we desire.

(To read the entire lesson, click here)

Prayer

Yesterday, Sister Karen taught us a wonderful lesson based on her own experiences with prayer. First she quoted:

1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation ^ataken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be ^btempted above that ye are able; but will with the ^ctemptation also make a way to ^descape, that ye may be able to ^ebear it.

This scripture doesn't tell us how we can avoid being tempted above that we are able. Then she quoted:

Alma 13:28 But that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and ^awatch and pray continually, that ye may not be ^btempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be ^cled by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, ^dmeek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering;

We can see here that Alma teaches us what we can do: that we must watch and pray continually.

Alma 34:39 Yea, and I also ^aexhort you, my brethren, that ye be ^bwatchful unto prayer continually, that ye may not be led away by the ^ctemptations of the devil, that he may not overpower you, that ye may not become his subjects at the last day; for behold, he rewardeth you ^dno good thing.

In this scripture, Alma re-emphasizes the importance of being watchful unto prayer continually.

If we like, Alma teaches more about prayer in Alma 34:

18 Yea, cry unto him for mercy; for he is ^amighty to save.

19 Yea, humble yourselves, and continue in ^aprayer unto him.

20 Cry unto him when ye are in your ^afields, yea, over all your flocks.

21 ^aCry unto him in your houses, yea, over all your household, both morning, mid-day, and evening.

22 Yea, cry unto him against the power of your ^aenemies.

23 Yea, ^acry unto him against the ^bdevil, who is an enemy to all ^crighteousness.

24 Cry unto him over the crops of your fields, that ye may prosper in them.

25 Cry over the flocks of your fields, that they may increase.

26 But this is not all; ye must ^apour out your souls in your ^bclosets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness.

27 Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your ^ahearts be ^bfull, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your ^cwelfare, and also for the welfare of ^dthose who are around you.

Prayer is very sacred and important:

1. The atonement took place while Jesus was saying a prayer.

2. Ordinances of the gospel (baptism, confirmation, etc) are performed through prayers.

3. The sacrament is blessed through prayer.

4. Repentance is not complete without prayer.

Prayer is the basic building block of the gospel.

Sister Karen shared with us her personal practices when it comes to prayer:

1. Pray every day in a quiet place at the same time, when she is not hurried and can have a clear mind.

2. Kneel whenever possible, without her shoes.

3. Pray until the spirit is felt.

4. If the spirit is not felt, start thanking the Lord for very specific reasons.

5. At the end of the prayer, stay on her knees with her eyes closed and listen.

Sister Karen testified that if we feel the spirit on a regular basis in our lives, we can know that we are right with God.

The Lord's Prayer by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Andrea Bocelli, and David Foster

Prayer

Prayer and Promptings

I served for many years in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles with Elder LeGrand Richards. He died at the age of 96. He told us that as a boy of 12 he attended a great general conference in the Tabernacle. There he heard President Wilford Woodruff.

President Woodruff told of an experience of being prompted by the Spirit. He was sent by the First Presidency to “gather all the Saints of God in New England and Canada and bring them to Zion.”⁷

He stopped at the home of one of the brethren in Indiana and put his carriage in the yard, where he and his wife and one child went to bed while the rest of the family slept in the house. Shortly after he had retired for the night, the Spirit whispered, warning him, “Get up, and move your carriage.” He got up and moved the carriage a distance from where it had stood. As he was returning to bed, the Spirit spoke to him again: “Go and move your mules away from that oak tree.” He did this and then retired once again to bed.

Not more than 30 minutes later, a whirlwind caught the tree to which his mules had been tied and broke it off at the ground. It was carried 100 yards (90 m) through two fences. The enormous tree, which had a trunk five feet (1.5 m) in circumference, fell exactly upon the spot where his carriage had been parked. By listening to the promptings of the Spirit, Elder Woodruff had saved his life and the lives of his wife and child.⁸

That same Spirit can prompt you and protect you.

When I was first called as a General Authority nearly 50 years ago, we lived on a very small plot of ground in Utah Valley that we called our farm. We had a cow and a horse and chickens and lots of children.

One Saturday, I was to drive to the airport for a flight to a stake conference in California. But the cow was expecting a calf and in trouble. The calf was born, but the cow could not get up. We called the veterinarian, who soon came. He said the cow had swallowed a wire and would not live through the day.

I copied the telephone number of the animal by-products company so my wife could call them to come and get the cow as soon as she died.

Before I left, we had our family prayer. Our little boy said our prayer. After he had asked Heavenly Father to “bless Daddy in his travels and bless us all,” he then started an earnest plea. He said, “Heavenly Father, please bless Bossy cow so that she will get to be all right.”

In California, I told of the incident and said, “He must learn that we do not get everything we pray for just that easily.”

There was a lesson to be learned, but it was I who learned it, not my son. When I returned Sunday night, Bossy had “got to be all right.”

This process is not reserved for the prophets alone. The gift of the Holy Ghost operates equally with men, women, and even little children. It is within this wondrous gift and power that the spiritual remedy to any problem can be found.

--Boyd K Packer, 179th Semiannual General Conference

(To read the whole talk, click here)

Quote - Prayer

"Never assume that you can make it alone. You need the help of the Lord. Never hesitate to get on your knees in some private place and speak with Him. What a marvelous and wonderful thing is prayer. Think of it. We can actually speak with our Father in Heaven. He will hear and respond, but we need to listen to that response. Nothing is too serious and nothing too unimportant to share with Him."

--Gordon B Hinckley, "Stay on the High Road," Ensign, May 2004, 114

It Shall Be Given

Have you sometimes wondered whether your prayers go unheard? Do you sometimes wonder what you can do to prepare yourself to receive guidance? Read about it and find out how the prophet Joseph Smith received his answer. There's much we can learn from him. Below is an excerpt of the article:

Heavenly Father hears and answers your prayers. His answers come in His own time and in various ways—for example, in the circumstances of your life, through the kind acts of others, or through the still, small voice of the Holy Ghost. Here are some ways you can prepare to receive guidance through the Spirit (from “Revelation,” True to the Faith [2004], 141–43):

• • Pray for guidance.

• • Be reverent.

• • Be humble.

• • Keep the commandments.

• • Partake of the sacrament worthily.

• • Study the scriptures every day.

• • Take time to ponder.

• • When seeking specific guidance, study the matter out in your mind.

• • Patiently seek God’s will.

  (For the full article, click "James 1:5")

  
  

  
  

Quote - Prayer

"Never assume that you can make it alone. You need the help of the Lord. Never hesitate to get on your knees in some private place and speak with Him. What a marvelous and wonderful thing is prayer. Think of it. We can actually speak with our Father in Heaven. He will hear and respond, but we need to listen to that response. Nothing is too serious and nothing too unimportant to share with Him."

--Gordon B Hinckley, "Stay on the High Road," Ensign, May 2004, 114