By President Monson
The Power of Prayer
"Prayer is a great blessing that can provide inspiration in the lives of all of Heavenly Father’s children, President Thomas S. Monson says. “Men and women of integrity, character, and purpose have ever recognized a power higher than themselves and have sought through prayer to be guided by such power,” he says.
“From the very beginning, Father Adam was commanded to ‘call upon God in the name of the Son forevermore’ (Moses 5:8). Adam prayed. Abraham prayed. Moses prayed, and so did every prophet pray to that God whence came his strength,” President Monson says, noting that the prayers of generations led up to the birth of Jesus Christ, an event “for which prophets prayed, psalmists sang, martyrs died, and mankind hoped.”
The Savior’s Example of Prayer
In prayer, as in all things, the Savior provides the ultimate example for us to follow. “More than any prophet or leader,” President Monson says, “He showed us how to pray. Who can fail to remember His agony in Gethsemane and that fervent prayer: ‘O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt’ (Matt. 26:39). And his injunction: ‘Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation’ (Matt. 26:41). It is then that we remember:
“‘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. …
“‘But thou, when thou prayest, … pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. …
“‘After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
“‘Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
“‘Give us this day our daily bread.
“‘And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
“‘And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever’ (Matt. 6:5–6, 9–13).”
President Monson says that “this guiding instruction has helped troubled souls discover the peace for which they fervently yearn and earnestly hope.
“Unfortunately, prosperity, abundance, honor, and praise lead some men to the false security of haughty self-assurance and the abandonment of the inclination to pray. Conversely, turmoil, tribulation, sickness, and death crumble the castles of men’s pride and bring them to their knees to plead for power from on High.”
Heavenly Father Still Answers
Does Heavenly Father still hear prayers today? Does He answer prayers? President Monson says that in response to such questions, he promptly replies: “There is no expiration date on the Lord’s injunction to pray. As we remember Him, He will remember us,” noting that “most of the time there are no flags waving or bands playing when prayer is answered. His miracles are frequently performed in a quiet and natural manner.”
Pray and Go
President Monson also says that it is important, after praying, to go and to do.
“Many years ago,” he says, “on an assignment to Tahiti, I was talking to our mission president, President Raymond Baudin, about the Tahitian people. They are known as some of the greatest seafaring people in all the world. Brother Baudin, who speaks French and Tahitian but little English, was trying to describe to me the secret of the success of the Tahitian sea captains. He said, ‘They are amazing. The weather may be terrible, the vessels may be leaky, there may be no navigational aids except their inner feelings and the stars in the heavens, but they pray and they go.’ He repeated that phrase three times. There is a lesson in that statement. We need to pray, and then we need to act. Both are important.
“The promise from the book of Proverbs gives us courage:
“‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths’ (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Trust Heavenly Father
“As we offer unto the Lord our family prayers and our personal prayers,” President Monson says, “let us do so with faith and trust in Him. Let us remember the injunction of Paul to the Hebrews: ‘For he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him’ (Hebrews 11:6). If any of us has been slow to hearken to the counsel to pray always, there is no finer hour to begin than now.”
I love what our Prophet, Thomas S. Monson, has to say about prayer! What a blessing it is, to know we can talk to our Father in Heaven ALWAYS! I am so grateful that God does hear and answer our prayers. Prayer opens the windows of heaven. Through prayer we can receive guidance, peace, and answers. Although, answers might not come exactly when we want them. I have experienced this many times in my life, but I can look back and see, that my Father in Heaven answered my prayer when it needed to be answered. I once heard prayer is needed to align our will with God will. As we pray and receive guidance we come to know what our Father in Heaven wants for us, thus doing the will of our Father. I know that we have a Father in Heaven who loves us and wants to hear from us. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He see's us as eternal beings. He knows our divine potential, or who we can become. He loved us so much that he gave His Son, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. And through the Atonement, we can become, who our Heavenly Father knows we can become.
*Pray He is there, Speak He is Listening
How Do I Pray?
• Address your Heavenly
Father.
• Express the feelings of
your heart (gratitude,
questions, requests to
confirm the truth of the
Book of Mormon and
the teachings of the
missionaries).
• Close (“In the name of
Jesus Christ, amen”).
I know that our Father in Heaven hears and answers prayers, and we can receive personal revelation. I once heard, "personal revelation is the way we know for ourselves the most important truths of our existence." Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said, Personal revelation is the way we know for ourselves the most important truths of our existence: the living reality of God, our Eternal Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ; the truthfulness of the restored gospel; and God’s purpose and direction for us...You may ask, “How do we seek personal revelation?” Paul counseled the Saints to rely on the Spirit rather than the wisdom of the world. To obtain that Spirit, we begin with prayer...a vital principle of seeking personal revelation—the principle the Lord taught Oliver Cowdery: “Behold, … you must study it out in your mind...Revelation comes on the Lord’s timetable, which often means we must move forward in faith, even though we haven’t received all the answers we desire." What a blessing it is to be able to receive personal revelation. I know that our Father in Heaven has a plan for every single one of His children. When I was about 14 years old I felt a need to graduate from high school early. I was perplexed about this decision because I didn't know if that was what the Lord wanted me to do, I knew if I did it would be a lot of work, and it seemed so far away. I decided to pray about this decision, and ponder the process of graduating early. After praying and fasting I felt that graduating early was what I needed to do-even though I didn't really know the reason behind it. It was not until years down the road that I have begun to understand why the Lord wanted me to graduate early. It was October 2012 that the Lord revealed to me why I had been prompted to graduate early-The age for missionaries was changed. I felt that I needed that time after my graduation to be prepared to serve a mission. I know that we can receive personal revelation as we pray and ponder the questions of our souls. The Lord does speak.
