LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY

LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY

CONTENTS

General Statements About Prayer
Prayer Is
Questions On Prayer Is
Why Do We Pray
Questions on Why We Pray
When To Pray
Questions On When To Pray
What To Pray About
Questions On What To Pray About
Family Altars
Questions On Family Altars
Answers To Prayer
Questions On Answers To Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer

GENERAL STATEMENTS ABOUT PRAYER

1. Prayer is reaching out and up to God with our hearts, minds and spirits.

2. The need for prayer arises out of a great longing to be one with Him and with each other.

3. We must pray always and not faint.

4. Our prayers should be about everything that concerns us.

5. Family altars help to consecrate our homes to God.

"The priest’s duty is to…visit the house of each member, and EXHORT THEM TO PRAY vocally and in secret, and ATTEND TO ALL FAMILY DUTIES;" (Doctrine and Covenants 17:10a,b)

"For if ye would hearken unto the spirit which teacheth a man to pray, ye would know that ye must pray; for the evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray. But behold I say unto you, that ye must pray always, and not faint…." (Book of Mormon 2 Nephi 14:11,12)

"Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." (1 Thess. 5:17,18)

PRAYER IS

We might compare prayer with our Heavenly Father as children communicating with an earthly father, who loves them and they in turn love him. Children rush to their fathers with joy and excitement to share something in their lives with him. He patiently and willingly listens and shares their joy and happiness with them.

At other times, children approach their father slowly and with solemnity. It might be to confess sin or wrongdoing and express sorrow at having failed him or disobeyed him. He listens seriously and reaffirms his love for his children and sends them forth renewed and cleansed.

Their approach might be with the broken heart of sorrow that tragedy has entered their lives. He helps them to put sorrow and suffering in its proper place, as an instrument to help them grow and develop. A loving earthly father would comfort them and strengthen them and they would rest assured of his love, concern and watchcare. An infinite, loving and merciful Heavenly Father would not do less.

The Doctrine and Covenants tells us, as we try to serve Him in righteousness, even our songs that we sing to Him are prayers. The scriptures also tell us again and again to pray unceasingly. We know then that prayer, in a larger sense, is an attitude of living. Our lives can be a sweet savor unto God. We can pray always or unceasingly by keeping our lives attuned to hear His voice. We will not engage in any activity in which we could not ask Him to join us there or where we would not feel free to call His name.

He desires that we share our lives with Him through prayer. Rev. 5:6-8 tells us the prayers of His saints are kept in golden vials near his throne. Our prayers are precious unto Him.

STUDY NOTES

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QUESTIONS ON "PRAYER IS"

1. Why does God love us? (1 John 4:7, 8 & 16)

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2. How do we know that God loves us? (John 3:16, 1 John 4:9)

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3. Why do we love God? (1 John 4:19)

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4. What must our attitude be towards God and His kingdom? (Mark 10:13, 3 Nephi 5:39,40)

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5. If we confess our sins and repent of them, what will God do? (1 John 1:9)

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6. How is true repentance shown? (D&C 58:9d, Proverbs 28:13)

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7. What is the purpose of chastening? (Heb. 12:6,7; James 1:3, D&C 98:1,2)

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8. If we live Godly lives, will we escape persecution? (2 Tim. 3:12)

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9. Complete this statement: "The song of the righteous is….." D&C 24:3b)

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10. What should our daily heart attitude be? (Alma 16:222)

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11. Why shouldn’t we engage in idle words or thoughts? (Matt. 12:31, D&C 85:19a)

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12. Where does God keep the prayers of the Saints? (Rev. 5:8)

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WHY DO WE PRAY?

If we truly love God, we will want to talk with Him and walk with Him. His wisdom and knowledge are so much greater than ours. We should counsel the Lord in all our doings and He will direct our paths.

Soldiers on the front lines always try to maintain a line of communication with their headquarters. Sales representatives are always calling their factories for counsel, advice and progress reports.

A guide must be kept either in sight or in talking distance to guide us. If we truly acknowledge God our Father as our leader and as our guide or Giver of Insight, we will keep Him and His will "in sight" or in "talking distance."

Answers to our prayers may come to us even as we are praying. Or if we pause a few moments after prayer and meditate upon that which we have asked or upon the choices open to us, the correct choice or answer may be impressed upon us. At times our bosoms may burn with God’s acknowledgment. Try that way or choice. Move out in faith if the choice is according to His principles given us in His Holy Word. It is not right that He should have to command us rather than lead us in everything we do in our lives. We should be anxiously engaged in building His kingdom, even Zion.

STUDY NOTES

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QUESTIONS ON "WHY WE PRAY"

1. If we truly love God, what will we do? (John 14:15, 21 & 23)

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2. What do the scriptures say about our thoughts as compared to God’s thoughts? (Isaiah 55:8,9)

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3. What was the counsel of God to Oliver Cowdery in D&C 9:3?

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4. What should our attitude be towards God’s work? (D&C 58:6d)

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5. Should we always wait for God’s commandment before acting? (D&C 58:6c)

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6. When the early restoration elders approached God in prayer, asking His will for them, what did He tell them? (D&C 6:3, 10:3, 11:3, and 12:3)

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7. What do you think the "good cause" is that we should be actively engaged in?

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WHEN TO PRAY

We should always start our day with prayer upon arising or soon after, asking God to go forth with us and join us in our daily activities. We should pause near the middle of our day thanking Him for walking with us. We should pray also at the end of our day before retiring, asking God to watch over us as we rest. This is not all. Our hearts should be drawn out to Him continually in the attitude of prayer.

We should only engage in those activities at which we would feel free to ask God to join us. The scriptures tell us that we should pray always and not faint (give up). God will surely bless us as we walk in close harmony with His will.

STUDY NOTES

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QUESTIONS ON "WHEN TO PRAY"

1. What can we learn about prayer from the parable of the widow and the unjust judge? (Luke 18:1-6)

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2. Basically, how many times a day should we pray? (Alma 16:219)

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3. When can we pray and expect to be heard? (Alma 16:177-182)

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4. In whose name should we pray? (3 Nephi 8:51,52; John 16:23,24)

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5. What might we accompany our prayers with? (Alma 4:6)

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6. Before we perform any task for the Lord, what should we do? (2 Nephi 14:12)

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7. If we ask God to bless our sleep, what else might we do to insure that He will? (D&C 85:38b, 119:9)

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8. On your own, read the first six chapters of the Book of Daniel and see if you can discover the reason for the excellent spirit that was in him.

WHAT TO PRAY ABOUT

Our prayers should concern everything that concerns us. All things are made holy by consecration unto God. This helps prevent us from having areas in our lives that we exclude God from.

God is concerned about everything in our lives. He is concerned about our jobs and our schooling and our homes, of course. But He is also watchful and concerned about all the little things of life. He will bless you in your housework or yardwork or other duties. He will walk beside you in the classrooms, at play or on the job.

A little child prays simply and humbly and may even ask God to watch over her doll and playthings. God hears and responds to this prayer.

We may be making a major decision in our lives as to work or our home or vocation or marital partner. He desires that we counsel with him that he may lead and guide us according to His greater understanding and wisdom.

The scriptures tell us that God feeds and cares for the ravens and the sparrows as they are also living souls. God has an investment in them as their creator. He sees to their needs and their songs praise him continually. He notices and cares if one of them falls to the ground. We are also told, by Him, that we are of much more value to Him than the sparrows. He even notices when a hair from our head falls to the ground. Isn’t this a wonderful closeness with God? We must always remember His eye is upon us and He will watch over us and provide for us if we are not of little faith. May we consecrate ourselves and all that we have to Him according to His plan for us.

STUDY NOTES

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QUESTIONS ON "WHAT TO PRAY ABOUT"

1. Is God concerned about His creation? (Ps. 147:8-9; 2 Nephi 11:96)

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2. Are souls valuable to God? (D&C 16:3c)

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3. What does Alma suggest we pray about? (Alma 16:219-222)_____________

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4. What should be our first concern? (Matt. 6:38)________________________

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5. What part does faith play in prayer? (James 1:5-7)______________________

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6. What 3 things did Enos pray about? (Enos 1:1-22)_____________________

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7. Will prayers help the sick? (James 5:15)______________________________

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8. What is the relationship of prayer to temptation? (3 Nephi 8:47,50)________

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9. On your own, compare the prayer of the Publican with the prayer of the Pharisee in Luke 18:9-14.

FAMILY ALTARS

We must develop Zionic lives to have Zionic homes. We also need to develop Zionic homes to build the city of Zion. One way to help develop our homes is to consecrate them to the Lord and then have a Family Altar or Family Worship each day.

Family or Home worship may be very simple and for the person alone, may consist of scripture reading and prayer. The reading might also be taken from the Daily Bread or other good books.

If there are children or others to share in the worship, each one should have the opportunity to take their turn at planning and conducting it. The small child may tell a scripture story from memory or from a picture or may want to sing a song(s) that he has learned. Songs are appropriate at any worship.

You may want to vary your worships as you are led by God’s Spirit. Painting or clay modeling may prove rewarding. The setting may be varied as weather permits.

The Home Worship may also be used as a time for every one to present their problems and viewpoints and to discuss them. This discussion should be led and directed, by the one leading, towards the scriptures and towards God’s answers to our problems.

The child learns to pray as he kneels and listens to the prayers of others. They learn a reverence for the word of God as we turn to it for the answers of today. Children learn to love the church hymns as they sing and lead them at Family Worship. If you have your worships faithfully with your children, rest assured that they too will one day have their own worships in their homes.

We should also pray over all our food, asking God’s blessing upon it as we try to eat good nourishing foods. Each family should read the scriptures concerning food and pray for an understanding from God. Then follow this understanding as God leads. The prayer over our food helps to strengthen the faith of those who hear and also teaches them to pray.

We each must go, at times, to our own secret places or closets and pour out our hearts to God concerning our deepest personal feelings and needs.

STUDY NOTES

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QUESTIONS ON "FAMILY ALTARS"

1. What does Christ command us in 3 Nephi 8:52? See also Alma 16:219.

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2. What will goodly parents do? (1 Nephi 1:1)___________________________

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3. What must we teach our children? (Gen. 6:61; Mos. 1:4-6)_______________

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4. What is the plan of salvation briefly? (Gen. 6:57-63)____________________

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5. Describe the parental responsibility in D&C 68:4a-f_____________________

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6. What must we teach our children concerning contention? (Mos. 2:25-27)

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ANSWERS TO PRAYER

Some people have felt that God has not answered their prayer. If we always ask that God’s will be done, in our prayers, He sometimes withholds what we ask for, knowing what is best for us. He also says "no" at times. Many times He begins to answer our prayers and we soon have our answers even though we may fail to recognize it when it comes.

God answers us sometimes out of heaven with His own voice or the voice of His servants, it is the same. Many will bear testimony of this in their lives. At other times, it is the still small inner voice of the Spirit that answers us. We may be led to the scriptures to find our answer.

If we have an important decision to make in our lives, here is one way of making it. Take the question to the Lord and ask Him to help you make it. (This is preferred over asking Him to make it for you.) Study out the decisions in your mind. You will find fasting helpful in your seeking. If you are truly open to an answer and would follow God’s leading, then He can cause your bosom to burn within you towards the correct choice. Or He may let you make the decision with the assurance you are making the right one. Go ahead then and make it. He will bless you and help you if you trust in Him. His leading will always be in accordance with scriptural principles.

Consider this also: at times it may not matter which choice we make, both or several being within God’s will.

Some have said, "I don’t know how to pray." We should approach our Lord and ask as did His disciples of old, "teach us to pray." It is His Spirit that teaches us to pray. It is the evil one who teaches us that we must not pray. Go to God on your knees and ask that His Spirit guide you in prayer.

Your prayers need not be long, only sincere. Look at the prayer of the publican in the 18^th chapter of Luke. It contained only seven words yet the scriptures say that he was justified. In the 14^th chapter of Matthew, Peter prays three words and the Lord answers his prayer.

If at times, we feel that the Lord is slow to answer our prayers, it may be an indication of the need of repentance.

STUDY NOTES

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QUESTIONS ON "ANSWERS TO PRAYER"

1. What was Peter’s short prayer? (Matt. 14:25)_________________________

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2. What is one of the reasons that we don’t receive the blessings we need? (James 4:2,3)

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3. What does it mean to ask amiss?____________________________________

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4. What is the role of faith in answered prayer? (James 1:6)_________________

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5. Again, what does the parable of the widow and the unjust judge teach us? (Luke 18:1-5)

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6. Does God want to bless us and answer our prayers? (Luke 11:10-14)

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7. What does D&C 98:3 tell us about answers to prayer?________________

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THE LORD’S PRAYER

OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN We should respect and honor our father and mother. If we acknowledge someone as our father, we must allow him rights in our lives; the right to give rules and laws which we must obey. Rights to chasten us for our own good. The right to direct our lives out of his greater understanding of what is best for us. We realize that we are but children before Him and need to grow in grace and love. This is our request, that He listen to our prayer. We are calling His name.

HALLOWED BE THY NAME We are only stating that which is true. He alone is holy. We have no righteousness of our own, only His which He gives to us. This reinforces our belief of being His child.

THY KINGDOM COME. THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH, AS IT IS DONE IN HEAVEN We now express the greatest desire of our hearts; that He might be acknowledged supreme ruler over every heart and soul, not just our own. We show forth our belief, that if we bring forth and establish the cause of Zion (His kingdom - D&C 102:9b), we are hastening the time that His kingdom will fill the whole earth. This also must be a part of our prayer, to say to God, "Your will and not mine be done."

GIVE US THIS DAY, OUR DAILY BREAD Our faith assures us, as we view His magnificent creation, even as He provides for all His lesser creatures, He will provide for us if we trust Him. He sustains the sparrow, the lily and all things which He has created. He gives us even our breath that we might labor with Him and with others for our food and shelter. If we acknowledge that He gives us our material blessings, we in turn are willing to use them in the manner He has designed.

AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES, AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US We all have our shortcomings and our failings, otherwise, this phrase would be "forgive us when we trespass." We must all come before God repentant, knowing He always answers the prayer of true repentance. This speaks of action on our part, as we in turn show mercy and love, God’s love, to others. We are sometimes the "those" and sometimes the "us". Let us always strive towards reconciliation and be long-suffering and slow to anger or take offense.

SUFFER US NOT TO BE LED INTO TEMPTATION We are like sheep and He is our shepherd. He knows the paths, the hills and the valleys. We trust Him to lead us in the green pastures. We then pray "nevertheless, THY will be done", in our lives. We are weak but He is able to lead us in higher paths.

DELIVER US FROM EVIL He is our strength. If He is with us who will we fear? He is our deliverer from sin and evil. We cannot stand alone, of ourselves; we will fail.

FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM, AND THE POWER, AND THE GLORY, FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN. Would our prayer be complete without this praise and acknowledgment? He is our blessed King and we are His willing subjects. All things are His eternally. Amen.

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