Prayer - A Heavenly Gift

Howard W. Hunter cherished the gift of prayer. As a young boy, his mother taught him to pray. He learned at an early age that Heavenly Father loved him and listened to him. "Perhaps no promise in life is more reassuring than that promise of divine assistance and spiritual guidance in times of need. It is a gift freely given from heaven, a gift that we need from our earliest youth through the very latest days of our lives." In Chapter 4: Help From On High, President Hunter challenges us, when faced with life's problems, to "claim that gift from God, our Father, and find spiritual joy."

At the 2011 BYU Women's Conference , Virginia Pearce said this about prayer: "Prayer is certainly the most basic religious ritual—of all faiths. All those who believe in God seek Him in some form of prayer. It is the earliest religious behavior we teach to our tiny children. And yet, the process of prayer cannot be fathomed by the human mind. None of us understands how it works, even though we may have had a lifetime of experience with it."

In the lesson, President Hunter recounts Joseph Smith's soul-searching experience to know which church he should join and the "impressive degree of spiritual sensitivity demonstrated by this very young and untutored boy." Young Joseph turned "profoundly to the scriptures and then to private prayer, perhaps the two greatest sources of spiritual insight and spiritual impression that are available universally to mankind. . . . He believed, as you and I must believe, that he could be taught and blessed from on high." President Hunter then reminds us this great truth:

"God knows and loves us all. We are, every one of us, his daughters and his sons, and whatever life’s lessons may have brought us, the promise is still true: 'If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.' (James 1:5.)"

We have all experienced times of questioning, loneliness, heartache or sorrow that have turned us, pleading for help and comfort, to a loving Heavenly Father. What an incredible blessing to know that Heavenly Father is only a prayer away! But I love these reminders from President Hunter that we must always turn to Him, not only in our times of need:

"If prayer is only a spasmodic cry at the time of crisis, then it is utterly selfish, and we come to think of God as a repairman or a service agency to help us only in our emergencies. We should remember the Most High day and night—always—not only at times when all other assistance has failed and we desperately need help. If there is any element in human life on which we have a record of miraculous success and inestimable worth to the human soul, it is prayerful, reverential, devout communication with our Heavenly Father."

"Look up in our joys as well as our afflictions, in our abundance as well as in our need. We must continually look up and acknowledge God as the giver of every good thing and the source of our salvation."

In her BYU Women's Conference talk, Sister Pearce shared a couple of very touching experiences, reminding us that there are times when our prayers may not be answered the way we initially ask. Sometimes our circumstances don't change, but we do! I love this quote for her talk!

"Prayer works. It does indeed call down the powers of heaven. It reconciles our will with the will of the Father. It consecrates even our most adversive experiences to the welfare of our souls. We may not be granted that which we desire, but we end up grateful with all of our hearts for that which the Lord gives us."

The entire talk is definitely worth reading!

David A. Bednar gave a talk in October 2008 LDS General Conference talk entitled Pray Always. He shared an experience his family had when a member of the Twelve was visiting their home while he was serving as president of BYU Idaho. Elder Bednar asked his wife to say the prayer. Not knowing that a dear friend had passed away earlier that day, the apostle asked Sister Bednar to express only gratitude for blessings received and not ask for anything. The family learned some incredible blessings about prayer that day. Elder Bednar said, "We learned that our gratefulness for the plan of happiness and for the Savior’s mission of salvation provided needed reassurance and strengthened our confidence that all would be well with our dear friends. We also received insights concerning the things about which we should pray and appropriately ask in faith."

I remember so well reading that talk shortly after Adrianne's death. I decided that night that my prayer would be one of only gratitude and appreciation. It is impossible to describe the powerful spiritual experience I had! Even in our times of sorrow, we have SO much to be grateful for! My awareness of my many blessings became clearer. I recognized the tender mercies so generously given by a loving Heavenly Father. I appreciated, in a more profound way, the Atonement of the Savior. And I treasured the comfort of the Holy Ghost. I believe experiences like that are why President Hunter called prayer a heavenly gift!

Sheri Dew said, "If our lives are so busy that we don’t have time for personal worship, something needs to change." Why? Because we need the power and strength that come from prayer. Here are a few quotes that describe some of the blessings that come from prayer.

Thomas S. Monson in April 2009 LDS General Conference said, "prayer is the provider of spiritual strength; it is the passport to peace. Prayer is the means by which we approach our Father in Heaven, who loves us. Speak to Him in prayer and then listen for the answer. Miracles are wrought through prayer."

"Prayer is your personal key to heaven," said Boyd K. Packer. "The lock is on your side of the veil."

Ezra Taft Benson taught: “If we would advance in holiness—increase in favor with God—nothing can take the place of prayer. Give prayer—daily prayer, secret prayer—a foremost place in your lives. Let no day pass without it. Communion with the Almighty has been a source of strength, inspiration, and enlightenment through the world’s history to men and women who have shaped the destinies of individuals and nations for good.”

From the lesson, President Hunter taught: "Developing spirituality and attuning ourselves to the highest influences of godliness is not an easy matter. It takes time and frequently involves a struggle."

President Hunter used that quote during two of his general conference talks, first in 1979 and then again in 1988. These are the words just prior to that quote in his October 1988 LDS General Conference talk: "There may be so very much our Father in Heaven would like to give us if we would but seek his presence regularly through scripture study and earnest prayer." And these are the words that followed that quote in his April 1979 LDS General Conference talk: "It will not happen by chance, but is accomplished only through deliberate effort and by calling upon God and keeping his commandments."

As we strive to be obedient and make prayer and scripture study priorities in our lives, we will "advance in holiness" and be in tune to the "highest influences of godliness." Then in our prayers we can say, with real faith, "Thy will, not mine, be done."