Gospel Principles Lesson 8
Pray is a great tool that we have while we live on this earth. We have the blessing of being able to communicate with our Heavenly Father, and we can ask Him for direction in our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit. Prayer is the Soul's Sincere Desire. We are to pray to our Heavenly Father in Jesus's name, and we are not to pray to anyone or anything else (see Exodus 20:3-5). Jesus taught, "Ye must pray unto the Father in my name" (3 Nephi 18:19).
Prayer has always been important. Adam and Eve were taught to pray. They were visited by an angel of the Lord, and they were commanded that they should repent and call upon God in the name of the Son forevermore (see Moses 5:8). This same commandment is still in effect for us. True prayer will help us learn more about God and about our relationship to Him. We can become closer to our Heavenly Father through prayer. Our prayers will help us meet the challenges of our lives. We can be influenced by the Spirit for good in the things that we thing, say, and do.
The next four paragraphs are direct quotes from Gospel Principles Lesson 8:
We should pray for strength to resist the temptations of Satan and his followers (see 3 Nephi 18:15; D&C 10:5). We should pray to confess our sins to God and ask Him to forgive us (see Alma 38:14).
We should pray for the Lord’s guidance and help in our daily lives. We need to pray for our families and friends, our neighbors, our crops and our animals, our daily work, and our other activities. We should pray for protection from our enemies. (See Alma 34:17–27.)
We should pray to express love to our Heavenly Father and to feel closer to Him. We should pray to our Father to thank Him for our welfare and comfort and for all things He gives us each day (see 1 Thessalonians 5:18). We need to pray to ask our Heavenly Father for strength to live the gospel.
We should pray so we can keep on the strait and narrow path that leads to eternal life. We must pray to God, the author of all righteousness, so we may be righteous in our thoughts, words, and actions.
It is a great comfort to know that we can always go to God in prayer. We can prayer whenever we feel the need and wherever we are. We can pray out loud or say a silent prayer in our hearts. There are times when we will feel the need to be alone in private prayer with our Heavenly Father (see Matthew 6:6).
God will always hear our humble prayers. We do not need to worry about running out of cell phone minutes. He is eager to listen. We can pray while we are driving in our car, while working or walking. We can pray for help with school or work. We should work on turning our thoughts to the Lord in our every day lives, because He can bless us with everything that will help us to be happy and to feel at peace. We should keep our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in our thoughts at all times. This will help us to choose the right.
There are circumstances in our lives that may draw us away from prayer. We may feel angry with others or frustrated with ourselves. During these times, we especially need Heavenly Father to give us renewed strength and we should make a special effort to pray, even when it is difficult to do so (see 2 Nephi 32:8-9). Heavenly Father is eager to help us, but we need to be humble enough to turn to Him and ask.
We are counseled to say private prayers every morning and night. Alma suggests that we also pray during the middle of the day (see Alma 34:21). Besides this, it is important to pray as families (see 3 Nephi 18:21) both morning and night. Are families can draw upon the powers of heaven for blessings as we pray together. We should further show our gratitude by giving thanks and asking a blessing on our food at mealtimes.
Our Church meetings begin and end in prayer. We are taught to express our thankfulness for the Lord's blessings to us and to ask Him for His help so that we will worship Him in the way that will please Him.
A young mother's baby was injured in an accident at home. She had no way to get the baby to a doctor. She was new in the neighborhood and did not know her neighbors. The young mother prayed for help. In a few minutes, a neighbor came to the door, saying, “I had a feeling I should come and see if you needed any help.” The neighbor helped the young mother get the baby to a doctor.
No matter whether we are kneeling to pray or praying while on the go, we should turn our thoughts and yield our hearts to the Lord. It is important for us to pray in faith, with a sincere heart, and with real intent (see Moroni 10:4). Since Heavenly Father already knows our thoughts, our intents, our desires, and our needs; it is important that we are honest with Him in prayer. We can express to Him how we feel; he will understand our hurts and concerns; we can confide in Him. Our prayers do not need to be elaborate. They can be simple, but they should be sincere (see Matthew 6:7-8). We can ask Him for forgiveness and for help to overcome or deal with our challenges. We should thank Him and express to Him how much we love Him.
Sometimes we think that we know just what we need, but the Lord knows our needs better than we do. So it is important that we pray for His will to be done, remembering that even Jesus asked for God's will to be done (see Luke 22:42). Heavenly Father is anxious to help us according to what He knows is best for us (see 3 Nephi 18:20). We should close our prayers in the name of Jesus Christ (see 3 Nephi 18:19).
How often do you believe that our prayers are answered? When we pray sincerely, our prayers are always answered. We need to remember that our prayers will be answered in the Lord's way and according to His timetable. His ways are higher than ours. Sometimes we might receive a no answer; sometimes we might receive an answer that asks us to be patient and wait; other times we will experience a yes answer. When this happens we will have a warm, peaceful feeling; and we will know that what we have asked is correct, or what course we should follow (see Doctrine and Covenants 9:8-9).
Often the Lord answers our prayers through other people. Our family members, church leaders, or friends may feel an impression to serve us in some way, or they may speak the exact words that we need to hear. We can feel the Spirit whisper to us that our prayer has been answered.
The following is an example from Gospel Principles Lesson 8:
Heavenly Father often gives us the ability to bring about answers to our own prayers as well. We need to learn to recognize the Spirit and follow the promptings that come from God, so that we can obtain the desired help that we need.
Praying to our Heavenly Father in Jesus's name and living the gospel of Jesus Christ will bring happiness and joy to our lives. “Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers” (Doctrine and Covenants 112:10).
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