Scripture References:
“And it came to pass, that as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” - Luke 11:1
“Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” - Mark 11:24
“But that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering;” - Alma 13:28
“Pray always, that you may come off conqueror; yea, that you may conquer Satan, and that you may escape the hands of the servants of Satan that do uphold his work.” - Doctrine and Covenants 10:5
In the simplest of layman’s terms, prayer is communication with God. It is asking and receiving. It is making our request known to Him in faith.
Prayer is as old as man, as universal as religion, and as instinctive as breathing. Men of all faiths practice it in some form. Prayer springs from the heart with a need – a need greater than man’s ability to satisfy. Prayer is man’s acknowledgment of a being higher than himself. Prayer brings us into close fellowship with God, admitting our need for Him and our utter dependence upon Him. Our Lord instructs us to Ask, Seek, and Knock; because these three words cover the whole spectrum of prayer.
Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with one another. The object of prayer is not to change the will of the Father, but to secure for others and us blessings that the Father is already willing to grant, but that are made conditional to our asking for them. Blessings require some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them. Prayer is a form of work, and is an appointed means of obtaining the highest of all blessings. All things are possible when we Ask, Seek, and Knock.
Before the first generation of mankind had passed away, men began to call upon the name of the Lord (Genesis 4:26; Moses 5:4). Either with (Genesis 12:8; 13:4), or without (Genesis 20:7; 32:9-11) sacrifice, prayers were constantly offered by the patriarchs to God.
Prayer is nowhere specifically commanded as a duty in the law, and prayers were not prescribed at the sacrifices except on two occasions: (1) a confession of sin on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:21), and (2) a thanksgiving when offering the first fruits and tithes (Deuteronomy 26:3, 13). It is, however, certain from the nature of things, and from the custom in later times, that prayers accompanied sacrifice. “Making many prayers” was a part of the corrupt religion under the later kings (Isaiah 1:15), and a marked feature of the religion of the Pharisees (Matthew 6:5; 23:14).
Most men try to pray, yet so few really know how. There are two kinds of prayers: (1) the prayer that does not reach God and (2) the prayer that does reach God. This point is illustrated by our Lord in the parable of the Pharisee and the publican found in Luke 18:9-14. Both men went to the same place, at the same time, for the same purpose to pray. The Pharisee prayed in his religious pride, expecting God to answer because he thought himself worthy. Notice the words of his prayer, “God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.” Now contrast his prideful prayer with that of the humble publican to whom the Scriptures tell us “would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven.” Notice the words of his prayer, “God be merciful to me a sinner.” Scriptures tell us that this humble publican “went down to his house justified rather than the other [the prideful Pharisee].”
Christ taught us in Luke 18:1 “that men ought always to pray, and not faint.” We are taught in 2 Nephi 32:9 that “ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul.” Prayer is imperative. Christ told his disciples in Matthew 26:41 to “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Marion G. Romney once said, “No divine commandment has been more frequently repeated than the command to pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Ensign, November 1979, p. 16).
We should also pray because prayer is the only way to get things from our Heavenly Father. In James 4:2 we are taught that we have not because we ask not. In 3 Nephi 18:20 we are further taught “And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you.” In Alma 37:37 we are told to “Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day.” Brigham Young once said, “If we draw near to him, he will draw near to us if we seek him early, we shall find him (JD, 13:312).
We should also pray because there is joy in prayer. In John 16:24 we are told “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.” In Moroni 7:48 we are told “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all energy of heart, that ye may be filled with his love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure.
We should also pray because prayer unlocks the treasure chest of the wisdom of God. The Prophet Joseph Smith came to realize this when as a young boy he was seeking an answer as to which of the churches was right and which of them he should join. He read these words in James 1:5 “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” After reading those words he sought the Lord in prayer and was told that none of the churches were right and that he was to join none of them.
We should also pray because prayer is a channel of power. In Jeremiah 33:3 we read these words. “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”
We should also pray because it is a sin not to pray. The brother of Jared was chastened by the Lord because he “remembered not to call upon the name of the Lord” (Ether 2:14). Samuel in 1 Samuel 12:23-24 says, “God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and right way: Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.” Joseph F. Smith once said, “Do not forget to pray. Don’t suppose for a moment that you are safe and secure in the favor of the Lord when you feel independent of Him as you will be if you feel your dependence upon Him all the day long” (CR, April 1915, p. 140).
We should also pray because Christ while here on earth prayed often to the Father. If Christ, our divine example, needed to pray then we His disciples should pray without ceasing as we are directed in 1 Thessalonians 5:17.
Here in these verses we find the Lord’s example of prayer as taught to His disciples. We are to pray:
·To “Our Father who art in heaven” because He is all wise, all loving, and all-powerful. We are also instructed to pray in the name of Jesus and with the help of the Holy Spirit (John 14:13; Romans 8:26:27).
·For His will to be done in everything (James 4:15).
·For the coming of His kingdom (Matthew 25:31-46).
·For our daily necessities (Luke 11:3).
·For forgiveness and practice forgiving others (Matthew 18:21-22).
·For the leading of the Lord and deliverance from evil (Luke 22:42).
·In faith (Hebrews 11:6)
I would like to share with you 23 elements of the Lord’s example of prayer.
1.Relationship – Our Father
2.Recognition – which art in heaven
3.Adoration – Hallowed be thy name
4.Anticipation – Thy kingdom come
5.Consecration – Thy will be done
6.Universality – in earth
7.Conformity – as it is in heaven
8.Supplication – Give us
9.Definiteness – this day
10.Necessity – our daily bread
11.Penitence – And forgive us
12.Obligation – our debts
13.Forgiveness – as we forgive
14.Love and Mercy – our debtors
15.Guidance – And lead us
16.Protection – not into temptation
17.Salvation – but deliver us
18.Righteousness – from evil
19.Faith – For thine is the kingdom
20.Humility – and the power
21.Reverence – and the glory
22.Timelessness – for ever
23.Affirmation – Amen – As God has said, so shall it be
It is a great joy to be able to talk with our Heavenly Father, any time, in any place, under any circumstance, and to know that He will hear and answer our humble prayers. The answers that we receive may sometimes be different from what we expected. We may, for example, pray for patience and receive tribulation, not realizing that “tribulation worketh patience” (See Romans 5:3). Our Heavenly Father answers all of our prayers – not necessarily according to our wishes, but according to His perfect will.
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