Talk

I gave a talk in Sacrament Meeting about a month ago. My topic was prayer. This is a copy of the talk. Talk on Prayer Good Morning brothers and sisters. For those of you who don't know me I am Miranda Wardle and my family and I moved into this ward about three months ago. I was asked to speak on the topic of prayer. In Doctrine and Covenants 19:28 it reads, "And again, I command thee that thou shalt pray vocally as well as I thy heart; yea before the world as well as in secret, in public as well as in private." We are commanded to pray. Not only when we are asked to in meetings but we are commanded to have our own personal prayers. We are also commanded to say meaningful prayers. In Elder Bednar's talk at General Conference in April 2008 entitled "Ask in Faith" he states, "Meaningful prayer requires both holy communication and consecrated work...As we speak of prayer, I emphasize the word meaningful. Simply saying prayers is quite a different thing from engaging in meaningful prayer. I expect that all of us already know that prayer is essential for our spiritual development and protection. But what we know is not always reflected in what we do. And even though we recognize the importance of prayer, all of us can improve the consistency and efficacy of our personal and family prayers." Meaningful prayer doesn't include repetition and saying the same thing every night before you go to bed. Meaning prayer is thanking Heavenly Father for all the many blessings you have received with a humble heart, it is asking Him for things that are relevant in your life at that specific time, it is seeking to know the answers to questions you have at that specific time. It is asking in faith. In Doctrine and Covenants 8:10, it reads, Remember that without faith you can do nothing; therefore ask in faith. Trifle not with these things; do not ask for that which you ought not. We are to ask in faith. When we prayer we must put our faith in God that he will answer our prayers and he will. On lds.org if you search prayer one of the first things that comes up us this, "We are all children of God. He loves us and knows our needs, and He wants us to communicate with Him through prayer. We should pray to Him and no one else. The Lord Jesus Christ commanded, “Ye must always pray unto the Father in my name” (3 Nephi 18:19). As we make a habit of approaching God in prayer, we will come to know Him and draw ever nearer to Him. Our desires will become more like His. We will be able to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that He is ready to give if we will but ask in faith." We must learn to pray for all things. We need Heavenly Father's helpt in all that we do. President Spencer W. Kimball said... We must turn to Him in all things. Lately my brother and I have been not getting along very well. This is normal family behavior but I was starting to notice that our constant fighting was effected the rest of the household. This week I challenged myself to be patient with my brother and try to be kinder to him. I knew that I was not going to be able to do this on my own so I asked my Heavenly Father for help to be able to do these things. I immediately noticed that things that normally would bug me weren't so bad anymore. When he did do something I didn't like instead of yelling at him I tried to explain why I didn't like what he was doing or I would leave the room. In Elder Bednar's talk he shares this story. " Several years ago there was a young father who had been active in the Church as a boy but had chosen a different path during his teenage years. After serving in the military, he married a lovely girl, and soon children blessed their home. One day without warning their little four-year-old daughter became critically ill and was hospitalized. In desperation and for the first time in many years, the father was found on his knees in prayer, asking that the life of his daughter be spared. Yet her condition worsened. Gradually, this father sensed that his little girl would not live, and slowly his prayers changed; he no longer prayed for healing but rather for understanding. "Let Thy will be done" was now the manner of his pleadings. Soon his daughter was in a coma, and the father knew her hours on earth were few. Fortified with understanding, trust, and power beyond their own, the young parents prayed again, asking for the opportunity to hold her close once more while she was awake. The daughter's eyes opened, and her frail arms reached out to her parents for one final embrace. And then she was gone. This father knew their prayers had been answered-a kind, compassionate Father in Heaven had comforted their hearts. God's will had been done, and they had gained understanding." Sometimes Heavenly Father may have a different path than we had hoped for or the answer may be no, but as in this story we must find the courage and faith to stop persisting and instead ask for understanding or to change our prayers to having Heavenly Father's will to be done not our own. In Doctrine and Covenants 9: 8-9 it reads, " But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it is right and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore you shall feel that it is right. But if it be not right you shall have no such feeling, bur you shall have a stupor of thought that've shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong." In closing I would like to share an excerpt from President Hinckley's book, Way to Be. In the section under be prayerful he states, " You cannot do it alone...You need His help, and you know that you need His help. You cannot do it alone. You will come to realize that and recognize it more and more as the years pass. Live so that in good conscience you can speak with God. Get on your knees and thank Him for His goodness to you and express to Him the righteous desires of your hearts. The miracle of it all is that He hears. He responds. He answers-not always as we might wish He would answer but there is not question or doubt in my mind that He answers." I know that if we turn to our Heavenly Father with the righteous desires of our hearts he will help each and everyone of us. I know that if I pray in faith I will receive answers. In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.