Lowell L. Bennion wrote:
Prayer alone is not to satisfy the soul. It is not enough to seek one’s own welfare through prayer. Nor is it enough to ask God to bless the sick and afflicted and those who mourn. No, prayer should motivate us to get up and help those in need.
“And now my beloved brethren, I say unto you, do not suppose that this is all; for after ye have done all these things, if ye turn away the needy and the naked, and visit not the sick and afflicted and impart of your substance, if ye have, to those who stand in need—I say unto you, if ye do not any of these things, behold, your prayer is vain, and availeth you nothing, and ye are hypocrites who deny the faith. Therefore if ye do not remember to be charitable, ye are as dross, which the refiners cast our, (it being of no worth) and is trodden under the foot of men.” (Alma 34:28-29)
Very typically, we ask the Lord to bless the missionaries, the leaders of the Church, those who mourn, and those who are sick and afflicted. I am quite sure that this has value and meaning. It is in God’s interest to inspire missionaries and leaders of the Church. As our Father of mercy and compassion, he is surely concerned with those who are in pain.
Why not, follow the suggestion of Amulek, use prayer to motivate ourselves to help the Lord achieve his purposes? “Father, help me to write and encourage missionaries, to accept callings from the bishop and to carry them out cheerfully and wholeheartedly. Father, help me to turn off the television and visit the sick, afflicted and lonely of my acquaintance. Help me to find the right things to say to the Smith family who have lost a son.” Prayer should not be a substitute for gospel living but a motivation to live it. ~Lowell L. Bennion, A Year of Powerful Prayer (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2013), 213-214
