My dear brothers and sisters, this has indeed been a wonderful another inspiring spiritual experience. I have been deeply impressed and strengthened by the prayers, the music, and the spoken word. Prayer plays a vital part in our worship, our religious thinking, and our daily lives.

In the time allotted to me today I would like to further consider with you the importance of prayer.

Implanted in the heart of every person, regardless of his or her race or color, is the desire to worship, in some manner, a divine being. “it is the first principle of the gospel to know for a certainty the character of God, and to know that we may converse with Him as one man converses with another. …”

With the knowledge that we can converse with God as one man converses with another, we also understand that we not only have a divine spark within us, but that we are actually spirit children of our Father in heaven.

Prayer, being the primary method of communication between God and man, plays an important part in practically every religion, whether Christian or otherwise.

Prayer opened the heavens thus opened the dispensation of the fullness of times

Origins of the Word The word pray comes from the Latin word precari, which simply means to entreat or ask. In fact, although pray is not often used this way anymore, it can simply mean “please,” as in “pray continue your story.” throughout my life, had my prayers answered very directly many times. Prayer has been a great blessing to me and to my family.

The Lord has repeatedly told us to pray always and that he will pour out his Spirit upon us and bless us greatly.  I have frequently contemplated what “pray always” really means and how this injunction can be effectively applied in our lives.

Brigham Young, in his realistic manner, stated: “You know that it is one peculiarity of our faith and religion never to ask the Lord to do a thing without being willing to help him all that we are able; and then the Lord will do the rest.”

 This being the case, what can we do to supplement prayer, or what is our part? Let me suggest a few examples:

As we pray for wisdom and knowledge, our part can be to study and apply ourselves.

As we ask for health and strength of body and of mind, we can supplement prayer by living the Word of Wisdom.

As we ask for protection, our part could well be to use good judgment, such as driving carefully, if we are traveling by car.

When we pray for inspiration, we should live close to the Lord by keeping his commandments. The Savior said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15.)

When we pray for direction, remember the counsel of the Lord given to his disciples Study your problems out in your own mind. Make a decision and then ask the Lord if your decision is right; if so, you will receive a burning of your bosom or a good feeling; if not, you will receive a stupor of thought or a questionable feeling. Then whatever the feeling you receive, have the courage to follow it. This is doing your part.

The question is frequently asked, What should one pray for? Well, prayer being the soul’s sincere desire, uttered or unexpressed, pray for your righteous desires. But never forget that whatever our prayers are, we can supplement our heavenly request with some positive action on our part.

Learn to make prayer a part of your lives, sometimes fail to recognize that many honest souls throughout the world are wondering how to pray, when to pray, and where to pray.

Let’s consider for a moment how to pray. The Savior told us how when he said:

“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

“Give us this day our daily bread.

“And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” (Matt. 6:9–13.)

This sample prayer envisions appreciation, simplicity, and the avoidance of vain repetitions. Our prayers should simply be our soul’s sincere desire. In our church worship there are only three set prayers: the baptismal and two sacramental prayers. We are also directed to close all of our prayers to our Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ.

Now, when to pray: Generally, I think we might say that we should pray in secret, with our families, and in worship meetings and public assemblies. Secret prayer should have a place in every person’s life. Again the Savior gave us the pattern when he said: “… when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” (Matt. 6:6.) This should be a part of our daily worship. It should express our appreciation to our Father in heaven for our many blessings as well as our love for him. Here we should ask for our daily needs, as the Savior did in the Lord’s Prayer.

 A-C-T-S

ADORATION PRAYERS
     Praise, bless Jesus as Lord – Believing He is in control.

CONFESSION PRAYERS
    We confess our sins – seeking God’s mercy admitting we have a need for God.
    Un-confessed sin can stand in the way of our other prayer.

THANKSGIVING PRAYERS
Thanking God for all he has done (or will do) for us, all He means to us. We should always be     thankful, even for the little things.

SUPPLICATION PRAYERS  (or PETITION PRAYERS)
    Making petitions or requests to God.  Asking for God's help.  “Standing in the gap” Prayers.  (Eph 1:15-16)

Types of Prayers: 

INTERCESSION PRAYERS
    Prayer for someone else. Selfless or self-giving prayer.

AFFIRMATION PRAYERS
    When we affirm what God says in His word, the Bible.

POSITIVE PRAYERS
    Filled with Faith.  When we believe God is bigger than any obstacle.

NEGATIVE PRAYERS
    Filled with Fear.   Prayer does not believe God can do all through them. Many times these prayers have false humility.

LISTENING PRAYERS
    When we open our hearts and minds to hear from God we need patience, quietness.

 
The holding of family prayer is a powerful INFLUENCE for good in every home where it is a regular practice. Morning and evening prayers, as well as the blessing on our food, bring us a sense of unity in our family as well as closeness to our Father in heaven. Family prayer is indeed a stabilizing influence in our lives.

 “Do you have [family] prayers in your family? … And when you do, do you go through the operation like the guiding of a piece of machinery, or do you bow in meekness and with a sincere desire to seek the blessing of God upon you and your household? That is the way that we ought to do, and cultivate a spirit of devotion and trust in God, dedicating ourselves to him, and seeking his blessings.”

Now regarding public prayers: Public prayers are a part of our worship services and many other public gatherings. These prayers again put us in a frame of mind to be inspired, strengthened, and motivated.

Our sacramental and baptismal prayers, of course, are certainly a very important part of our worship services.

The Lord has also charged parents “to teach their children to pray, and walk uprightly before the Lord.” I have little or no fear for the boy or the girl, the young man or the young woman, who honestly and conscientiously supplicate God twice a day for the guidance of His Spirit. I am sure that when temptation comes they will have the strength to overcome it by the inspiration that shall be given to them.”

As parents, it is clearly our duty and privilege to teach our children to pray, and regular family prayers set the pattern.

The Lord has promised to show mercy and to give comfort and strength to all who love him and keep his commandments. However, it is most important to remember that our attitude and approach in prayer should be similar to that of the Savior, in one of his last prayers in which he said, “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup [ordeal] from me: nevertheless not my will, but thy, be done.” Three times he prayed in this manner. And then “there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.” (Luke 22:42–43.)

As we approach our Father in heaven with the spirit, “thy will be done,” and as we personally do all we can to have our prayers answered, the Lord will do the rest.

It is important to recognize that the laws governing prayer are as immutable as those governing science. Response is predicated upon our having the proper attitude and so living that we are entitled to the whisperings of the Spirit. We must keep ourselves in tune with the Holy Ghost.

Yes, as we do our part or magnify our callings, the Lord will make us equal to the task by blessing us with strength of body and of mind far beyond our normal capacities.

May we this day commit ourselves to so live that we may go before the Lord with a clear conscience and ask for his divine guidance and assistance. As we do this, we will truly appreciate God. May the blessings of our Father in heaven attend to you all, I humbly pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

PREVIOUS

REFLECTION TIME

Prayer is not a check request asking for things from God. It is a deposit slip – a way of depositing God’s character into our bankrupt souls.

Until you know that life is war, you cannot know what prayer is for

"Prayer is not a discourse. It is a form of life, the life with God. That is why it is not confined to the moment of verbal statement."

In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart.

Where I came from, topographically has two seasons, the wet seasons and the dry seasons. These two seasons extremely strikes the place, sometimes drought happens during dry season and thyphoons comes along the way during wet days. Every summer, people tends to be busy coping up with the extreme temperature that heat up the place, busy planning going for outing to wishing to splash in the coldness of water from pools, rivers and seas. People are planning going outside of the country where temperature is less. People tends to forget that there will be a next season that needs to be prepared with. 

Isn't it important during summer where the weather is calm, we need to stock up on supplies of batteries, water, canned goods, and other necessities preparing for the next turn of the season? Isn't it much better if we make sure to keep our tree limbs trimmed, map out where we will go in the case of an evacuation when strong storm strikes our place? For many who lives near the coast though, we can get lax in our preparations. Though the meteorologist warns us every year to be prepared, too often we prefer to wait until there actually is a storm churning out on the horizon.

The Storms of Life It seems like common sense to prepare ahead of time for a thypoon, floods, strong rains, running out of electricity caused by thunder storms and lightnings. How about the storms of life? Should we prepare in advance for periods of trial and suffering?

I believe that it is important to prepare our minds and hearts for the inevitable trials of life. Without a theological foundation in place for how to face such storms, we are at greater risk for being blown over by the fierce winds of suffering when they arrive.

What does it means to have a theological foundation? It means having a theology of suffering: knowing what we believe and why about God, his sovereignty, and the hardships we experience in this world.

What are some theological ways we can prepare for during summer times of life? Here are four simple ways, like gathering for thypoon supplies, that we can prepare for the storms of tomorrow.

1. Study the Word. We need to study what the Bible says about trials and suffering. Why do they exist? How should we respond? How does God use suffering in our lives? We also need to study what Scripture teaches about God, who he is, and his character. It makes a big difference whether we believe God is out to get us or whether we believe that he is holy, righteous, and good in all that he does.
   
2. Affirm God’s sovereignty. What we believe about God’s sovereignty plays a significant role in how we face suffering. Do we believe that he is in absolute control over everything that happens? Do we trust that he will use all things, even our suffering, for our good and his glory? How can we trust in and find hope in his sovereignty?
3. Memorize Scripture. We need to learn and memorize verses that point to the truth about suffering and the trials of life. We can memorize passages on God’s promises toward us, the hope we have in Christ, and how God uses suffering in our lives for our transformation and his glory. 
   
4. Pray. We need to develop an active prayer life. During the calm seasons of life, we need to grow in prayer and learn to turn to God for all things. The more we trust and rely on God in prayer, the more we will utilize prayer during the trials of life. In a crisis, we tend to do things by instinct. Prayer should be instinctual, like breathing.