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The First Vision and Moroni's promise are two of many instances in which
LDS tradition emphasizes prayer as a means to obtain knowledge (JS-H
1:11-14; Moro. 10:4-5). Mormonism testifies that prayer is a dialogue.
We seek instruction; God sends inspiration.
Prayer is both communication and communion with God. In prayer, we experience
the awareness of being in God's presence. We lay before God our desires,
fears, sorrows, or anger—perhaps asking for solutions, perhaps seeking
strength to endure, perhaps simply to know that God shares our pain. Prayer
reminds us that we are children of loving Heavenly Parents (Matt.
7:7-11). Prayer promotes mindfulness of others' needs in addition
to our own (Alma 34:20-27). Christ teaches
us to pray even for our enemies' welfare (3 Ne.
12:33-34).
Praying regularly cultivates gratitude and a sense of our dependence
on God (Mosiah 2:20-21; 4:19). Prayer is
an opportunity to consecrate our activities and open ourselves to divine
direction (2 Ne. 32:9; Alma 37:36-37). If
we allow the Spirit to direct us in what to pray for, we can learn to
bring our will into one with God's (Rom. 8:26; Hel.
10:5). In our public prayers, we should seek inspiration to know
what we can say that will reflect a unified sentiment of the whole worshipping
community (D&C 29:6).
Meditating, or pondering, is part of the process of seeking knowledge
through prayer. The Spirit may bring insight over time as we study things
out for ourselves (D&C 9:7-8). The injunction
to ponder is also an invitation to be still, to reserve time for focusing
on our spiritual nourishment.
| Related Topics:
|
 Worship |
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| More Holiness Give Me (Hymns
131) |
| Father in Heaven (Hymns
133) |
| Prayer Is the Soul's
Sincere Desire (Hymns 145) |
B. H. Roberts: Prayer
is something more than a mere begging for things, a mere asking for
things, that may be more or less convenient to us and necessary in
our daily lives. What we need to learn, in our prayers, is to commune
with God, talk with him, draw near unto him in fellowship, and so
pray that the veil that separates us from the Divine presence shall
grow exceedingly thin, so thin that we shall feel the pulsation of
God's life in our lives!
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| Improvement Era,
November 1916 |
John A. Widtsoe: Prayer
is really the beginning of wisdom. By prayer, communion between
man and God is established and maintained. It brings man and his
Maker into close association. Earnest, sincere prayer places man
in tune with heaven and with the Beings who dwell therein.
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| Evidences and Reconciliations
(Salt Lake City: Improvement Era), 1943, 315 |
Stephen R. Covey:
Learn to listen in your prayer. Don't just talk all the time. Empathize
with the Lord, with his thinking, with his feelings, with his ways
of doing things. Meditate, ponder, consider, value, appreciate,
love, worship. Let the affections of your heart be placed upon him.
Be open, sensitive, and receptive to his inspiration and heavenly
impression.
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| Spiritual Roots of Human
Relations (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1970), 292 |
N. Eldon Tanner: As
we give thanks for our blessings and pray for our own needs, we
should be conscious of others who need our faith and prayers. When
we pray for Heavenly Father to bless the poor, the sick, and the
needy, and to comfort those who mourn, we must follow our words
with our deeds and be actively engaged in serving our fellowmen
and ministering to their needs. We are the ones through whom the
Lord accomplishes his purposes . . .
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| Prayer (Salt Lake
City: Deseret Book, 1977), 3 |
James E. Faust: A
fervent, sincere prayer is a two-way communication that will do
much to bring his Spirit flowing like healing water to help with
the trials, hardships, aches, and pains we all face. . . . As we
pray, we should think of him as being close by, full of knowledge,
understanding, love, and compassion, the essence of power, and having
great expectations of each of us.
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| To Reach Even unto You
(Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1980), 109 |
Patricia T. Holland:
Allow yourselves to turn a few things down and turn a few things
off. Seek to position yourselves prayerfully in some solitude and
serenity to receive the mind of God. Stop what you are so frantically
doing and go into your private wilderness. Shut the door, turn out
all earthly lights, set aside all earthly sights. Position yourself
calmly, quietly in humble serenity until your prayer flows naturally,
lovingly. When you feel God's presence, when you feel he is with
you, you will be filled with a wonderful strength that will allow
you to do anything in righteousness.
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| "Filled with All the
Fulness oF God," Clothed with Charity (Salt Lake City:
Deseret Book, 1997), 11 |
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