From the book ‘A Year of Powerful Prayer’, ‘Getting Answers for Life Every Day’, Margaret Lifferth is quoted:
How do we come to the Father? Listen to the words of the Savior;
“And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
“But thou, 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.
“But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think they shall be heard for their much speaking.
Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him” (Matthew 6:5-8)
The Pharisees prayed publicly in the synagogues and in the streets. They prayed with vain repetition and much speaking. The Lord withdrew from the crowds and went to solitary places to pray. He taught us to come to the Father with the faith of a child, with humility and a believing heart. Even so, the Savior acknowledges that Heavenly Father already knows our needs and our hearts. So why do we pray?
Prayer is for our benefit. When we kneel down and bow our heads, and ask God for blessings that we need, we are acknowledging our dependence on Him for everything that we enjoy. We recognize that Heavenly Father is the giver of all, as the source of power, light, life and strength. Over and over the scriptures repeat these words of the Savior: “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you” (Matthew 7:7). . . .
We can and we must ask, knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (Matthew 7:7)….
We can and we must knock and seek for a variety of blessings. But in those moments of pouring out our souls and asking with full hearts, we must remember one very important principle. It is taught in the Lord’s prayer with these words, “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). . . .
Is it possible sometimes when we pray we are like a hungry child asking only for candy? In our prayers do we say, “Heavenly Father, this is the blessing I want,” when what we need and what He would give us are rich experiences that will nourish our souls, increase our growth, and keep us on the path that will bring us home to Him? Many times the answers to our prayers are those refining experiences that we may not recognize as blessings. ~ Margaret Lifferth, A Year of Powerful Prayer (Salt Lake City, Deseret Book, 2013), 70-71
