Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum or the Twelve Apostles said: “The scriptures are literal when they encourage to “pray oft unto the Lord” (Nephi 18:3), pray always (Ephesians 6:8), “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), “let your hearts be . . . drawn out in prayer unto him continually: (Alma 34:27), “give ourselves continually to prayer” (Acts 6:4), and “to pray everywhere” (1 Timothy 2:8). Why? Because praying constantly allows us to have an on-going relationship with the Lord. When we pray frequently throughout the day and address specific needs, we open the door to receive more frequent and specific answers.
The Bible Dictionary explains, “Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other. The object of prayer is not to change the will of the God, but to secure for ourselves and for others the blessings that God is already willing to grant, but that are made conditioned on our asking for them.” (Bible Dictionary, s.v.”prayer”; emphasis added.)
Frequent prayer gives us the opportunity to ask for blessings at all hours of the day—especially during those moments when we find ourselves running on empty. There are blessings that God is already willing to grant if we just take the time to ask. Elder David A. Bednar said, “Morning and evening prayers—and all of the prayers in between—are not unrelated discreet events; rather, they are linked together each day and across days, weeks, and months, and even years. This is 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.” (Davit A. Bednar, “Pray Always,” Ensign, November 2008, 42; emphasis added.) Quoted here by Emily Bell freeman in “A Year of Powerful Prayer” ~ Getting Answers for your life every day (Salt Lake City:Deseret Book, 2013), p. 19-20
