Mormon Monday: Prayer

This weekend, we went and visited my family in Idaho. The twins (two of my younger sisters) did a great job with their homecoming talks. It was both sad and happy to see how much they've grown individually.

Sad, because they've grown apart a bit, but happy because they're becoming individuals and starting to live their own lives. I can't really understand what it is like for them; I've never been a twin. However, I am praying that they both find individual happiness wherever life will take them. 

During church, my dad taught a lesson about prayer.

Sometimes I think that prayer is really misunderstood. We start a prayer like we're ordering a pizza. We tell our Heavenly Father what we want, and then hang up, expecting prompt delivery. 

However, prayer isn't like that. The LDS bible dictionary entry on prayer expresses it really well. 

As soon as we learn the true relationship in which we stand toward God (namely, God is our Father, and we are His children), then at once prayer becomes natural and instinctive on our part (Matt. 7:7–11). Many of the so-called difficulties about prayer arise from forgetting this relationship. 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 God but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant but that are made conditional on our asking for them. Blessings require some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them. Prayer is a form of work and is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings.

Often prayer is thought to be us convincing our Heavenly Father of what we want. It is meant to be the opposite. The Lord knows what's best for us, and he's not going to give us confirmation of something that won't be best for us.

The purpose of prayer is to bring our will in line with our Heavenly Father's. Whenever I have been able to do that, it have been able to receive an answer much more quickly and with a lot more confidence that I'm doing the right thing.

It is also important to ask the right questions. A while ago, Grig was looking for a job, and after six months, he hadn't found one. It was becoming very difficult for him, and however much we prayed about where he was supposed to work, we simply weren't getting an answer. However, when we asked the question of where he was supposed to go to school, the answer came very quickly and within three days he had a job and we were moving.

It is also important to do your part. You can't just pray and expect the Lord to take care of everything. We have to do our best, and then He will take care of the rest.

Prayer has changed my life. I've received so many answers that have brought me so much happiness. I know prayer works and that anyone can pray. If we are truly trying and seeking answers, the Lord will provide.

I know this is true. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.