From the book “Press On”, Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (deceased) taught:
Commandment to Pray There may not be a more frequently uttered commandment than that we lift our hearts and voices in prayer to our Heavenly Father. “Pray always,” the Lord has commanded to us in these latter-days, “and I will pour out my spirit upon you, and great shall be your blessing.” (Doctrine & Covenants 19:38). The Book of Mormon teaches “Ye must pour out your souls in your closets **, and your secret places, and in your wilderness” (Alma 34:26). And the Apostle Paul teaches that we should “Pray without ceasing, [And] in every thing give thanks” ) 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18).
Jesus the Christ, our exemplar, often prayed to the Father. If the Savior of mankind felt such a need to supplicate the Father, how much more should we lift our voices in prayer?
Separation from the Father Every human being once lived in heavenly realms, for we are spiritually begotten offspring of God. As his children we walked with our Heavenly Father. We knew Him. We heard His Voice. We loved Him. And although we were to enter mortality and continue our progression, we must have regretted the separation that would accompany it. We must have sorrowed that a veil would cover our eyes and the bright memories of our lives would be cloaked in the forgetfulness of mortality. How we must have yearned to stay close to our Father in Heaven. How freely we must have covenanted to ever reach after Him and commune with Him.
Undoubtedly, the sorrow of our separation from the Father was softened when our Heavenly Father promised that as we sought after Him in prayer, He would reach toward us. Now we are here. We have no memory of our pre-mortal life. We have forgotten those things we supposed we could never forget. Unfortunately and tragically, we sometimes even forget our Heavenly Father whom we loved so dearly
Effectiveness of our Prayers May I invite you to consider the effectiveness of your prayers? How close do you feel to your Heavenly Father? Do you feel that your prayers are answered? Do you feel that the time you spend in prayer enriches and uplifts your soul? Is there room for improvement?
There are many reasons why our prayers lack power, Sometimes, they become routine. Our prayers become hollow when we say similar words in similar ways over and over, so often that the words become more a recitation than a communication. This is what the Savior described as vain repetitions. (see Matthew 6:7). Such prayers, He said, will not be heard. A recent Prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley, observed that “the trouble with most of our prayers is that we give them as if we were picking up the telephone and ordering groceries—we place the order and hang up. We need to meditate, contemplate, think of what we are praying about and for and then speak to the Lord as one man speaketh to another.” (Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley. 469).
Do your prayers at times sound and feel the same? Have you ever said a prayer mechanically, the words pouring forth as if cut from a machine? Do you sometimes bore yourself as you pray?
Prayer is Work
Prayers that don’t demand much of your thought will likely not merit much attention from your Heavenly Father. When you find yourself getting into a routine with your prayers, step back and think. Meditate for a while on things for which you really are grateful. Look for them. They don’t have to be grand or glorious; sometimes we should express our gratitude for the small and simple things, such as the scent of the rain, the taste of your favorite macaroni and cheese recipe, the sound of a loved one’s voice.
Pondering the things we are grateful for is a healing balm. It helps us get outside ourselves. It changes our focus from our pains and our trials to the abundance of this beautiful world we live in.
Think of those things you really need. Bring your goals and your hopes and your dreams to the Lord and set them before Him. Heavenly Father wants us to approach Him and ask for His divine aid. Explain to Him the trials and challenges you are facing. Set before Him your righteous desires. ~Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (deceased). ~Press on With Hope (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2007) p.54-6 (continued)
** A closet in that era referred to a bedroom.
