prayer

“Prayer is communication to Heavenly Father from His sons and daughters on earth.”
“Revelation is communication from Heavenly Father to His children on earth.”

Principle #1: Prayer becomes more meaningful as we counsel with the Lord in all our doings.

Moses 3:4-5
Spiritual creation of the day
“We learn from these verses that the spiritual creation preceded the temporal creation. In a similar way, meaningful morning prayer is an important element in the spiritual creation of each day – and precedes the temporal creation of each day. Just as the temporal creation was linked to and a continuation of the spiritual creation, so meaningful morning and evening prayers are linked to and are a continuation of each other.
“There may be things in our character, in our behavior, or concerning our spiritual growth about which we need to counsel with our heavenly father in morning prayer. After expressing appropriate thanks for blessings received, we plead for understanding, direction, and help to do the things we cannot do in our own strength alone.
► Reflect on those occasions when we have spoken harshly or inappropriately to those we love most. [of the offense or weakness.]
► Recognize that we know better than this, but we do not always act in accordance with what we know.
► Express remorse for our weaknesses and for not putting off the natural man more earnestly.
► Determine to pattern our life after the savior more completely.
► Plead for greater strength to do and to become better.

Temporal creation of the day
“We notice during this particular day that there are occasions where normally we would have a tendency to speak harshly, and we do not; or we might be inclined to anger, but we are not. We discern heavenly help and strength and humbly recognize answers to our prayer. Even in that moment of recognition we offer a silent prayer of gratitude.”
► Notice – increase awareness of actions and choices – simply monitoring them because our prayers made us more aware can be what helps us improve
► Action – we do or we do not – we act on the notice and opportunities
► Recognize the source of triumph
► Gratitude

Return and report
“At the end of the day, we kneel again and report back to our Father. We review the events of the day and express heartfelt thanks for the blessings and the help we received. We repent and, with assistance of the Spirit of the Lord, identify ways we can do and become better tomorrow. Thus our evening prayer builds upon and is a continuation of our morning prayer. And our evening prayer also is preparation for meaningful morning prayer.”
► Review the events of the day
► Thanks for help and blessings
► Repent
► Seek for the spirit – Ether 12:27
► Identify ways to improve

“Morning and evening prayers – and all of the prayers in between – are not unrelated, discrete events; rather, they are linked together each day and across days, weeks, months, and even years. This is in part how we fulfill the scriptural admonition to ‘pray always.’ Such meaningful prayers are instrumental in obtaining the highest blessings god holds in store for His faithful children.”

Alma 37:36-37
What are some ideas for getting into and keeping the habit of morning and evening prayers?
Why would this result in the highest blessings?
What are some ideas for following and implementing these changes in your prayers?
Challenge: Have morning and evening prayers for one week.

Principle #2: Prayer becomes more meaningful as we express heartfelt gratitude.

Mosiah 26:39
“The most meaningful and spiritual prayers I have experienced contained many expressions of thanks and few, if any, requests.”

Characteristics of meaningful prayers:
Alma 48:12
3 Nephi 19:24
D&C59:21

“Let me recommend that periodically you and I offer a prayer in which we only give thanks and gratitude. Ask for nothing; simply let your hearts rejoice and strive to communicate appreciation with all the energy of our hearts.”
Challenge: Have one prayer that is dedicated to expressing gratitude.

Principle #3: Prayer becomes more meaningful as we pray for others with real intent and a sincere heart.

“Just as expressing gratitude more often in our prayers enlarges the conduit for revelation, so does praying for others with all of the energy of our souls increases our capacity to hear and to heed the voice of the Lord.”

If gratitude increases our ability to receive revelation then it would impact our spiritual preparation for the day and our report at the end of the day. If praying for others increases our ability to hear and heed revelation then it would also impact the temporal creation of our day as we act on the revelations of the previous evening and morning prayers; thus creating exponential spiritual growth rather then a steady curve that would occur otherwise.

“The Savior is the prefect example of praying for others with real intent.”
John 17:9, 20, 26
3 Nephi 17:1-16

“The impact of His prayer was profound: ‘No one can conceive of the joy which filled our souls at the time we heard him pray for us unto the father’ (3 Nephi 17:17). Imagine what it might have been like to hear the Savior of the world praying for us.”

Challenge: Have a family home evening or journaling session answering the list of questions asked by Elder Bednar and sharing your own experiences of either having your prayers on behalf of others answered or where you could feel the prayers of others for you. It is easier sometimes to see where our own prayers have been answered.

Pray Always by Elder Bednar
October 2008 Conference
“Prayer is communication to Heavenly Father from His sons and daughters on earth.”
“Revelation is communication from Heavenly Father to His children on earth.”

Principle #1: counsel with the Lord in all our doings.
Spiritual creation of the day
► Reflect
► Recognize
► Express remorse
► Determine
► Plead
Temporal creation of the day
► Notice
► Act
► Recognize
► Gratitude
Return and report
► Review
► Thanks
► Repent
► Seek
► Identify
Challenge: Have morning and evening prayers for one week.

Principle #2: express heartfelt gratitude.
Challenge: Have one prayer that is dedicated to expressing gratitude.

Principle #3: pray for others with real intent and a sincere heart.
Challenge: Have a family home evening or journaling session answering the list of questions asked by Elder Bednar and sharing your own experiences of either having your prayers on behalf of others answered or where you could feel the prayers of others for you. It is easier sometimes to see where our own prayers have been answered.