Prayer

What is prayer: communication with God. Prayer can be silent or out loud.

Pray Always By: President Spencer W. Kimball

As we group ourselves in prayer, whether in home, Church, social or public settings, we should remember the purpose of our prayers—to communicate with our Father in Heaven. Difficult as it seems, I have found when praying with others that it is better for our attitudes to be concerned with communicating tenderly and honestly with God rather than with worrying over what listeners may be thinking. Of course, the setting of prayers needs to be taken into account, and this is one reason why public prayers, or even family prayers, cannot be the whole of our praying.

 

But in our family circles, our children will learn how to talk to their Heavenly Father by listening to their parents. They will soon see how heartfelt and honest our prayers are. If our prayers are hurried, even tending to be thoughtless ritual, they will see this also. Better that we do in our families and in private as Mormon pleaded, “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart.” (Moro. 7:48.)

 

Avoid ritual prayers.

What do we pray for? Everything!

 

Hymn # 145 reads:  Prayer is the soul's sincere desire.

 

After a prayer, we need to listen intently, even for several minutes to receive an answer.

 

In April conference of 2008 David A. Bednar gave us tips on improving our prayers. Ask In Faith:  

 

3 ways to improve our prayers:

Ask in Faith and Act

After the Trial of Our Faith

Not My Will, but Thine, Be Done

 

Then in October Conference of the same year he gave a talk that again addressed prayer. Pray Always

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.

 

Communication.

 

We don't always recognize the answers to our prayers.

Richard G. Scott tells us ways to Recognize answers to our prayers in his October 1989 conference talk.