Prayer is the Soul's Sincere Desire

Marvin J. Ashton once testified, “Very often over the years I have had peace and patience knowing that Heavenly Father is there and will not forsake me even though some prayers are going unanswered. What a joy and strength it would be in all of our lives to have the childlike faith and complete trust to know that he is there and that we can cry out unto him under all circumstances...Perhaps it would be good for our souls to build the relationship and understanding that he is there, even our loving and eternal Father, and that ofttimes delays to our urgent pleas can be best for us. Who is to say it isn't more important to know that he is there than to receive immediate answers?” (10 November 1992, BYU Fireside)

No time is better in the life of a Christian than being in the exact moment an answered prayer manifests.

I cherish opportunities to pray; however, I regularly face two obstacles in prayer.

First, I spend too much time, as if I know best, negotiating with Heaven. It happens in a few ways:

If I am prompted to do one thing, I propose an alternative.

If I have an expectation, I carefully craft the words in my prayer as though I can convince God to strike a deal with me.

If I desire to commit a sin, I try to “pre-repent” or excuse myself beforehand to avoid a feeling of guilt later.

When I foresee a challenge, I propose something less difficult or less painful as a means to avoid an anticipated situation.

Unfortunately, I have also approached many prayers with an attitude of “If I do this, you do that,” or worse, “I won’t do this, because you have yet to do that.”

Doctrine and Covenants Section 19 provides powerful insight, "Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me. I am Jesus Christ"

On one occasion, the Word of the Lord came down to a prophet named Jonah. He was asked to preach repentance to the great city of Nineveh. This was neither a simple task nor an ordinary city.

Nineveh was populated by Assyrians, but was likely founded by Nimrod. The city operated as the capital of the Assyrian empire, was home to King Hezekiah, was a target of much of Isaiah’s testimonial work and prophecy, and brewed as a hot-bed of sin. The city was so formidable, that it took a person three days to journey around it; and was the home to 120,000 persons and much cattle.

In response, Jonah, rather than accept the task, fled from the presence of the Lord on to a ship at sea.

Seeing the His Word unravel, the Lord caused a great tempest and fierce wind to come upon the sea and Jonah’s ship. All of ship’s crew panicked, tried to lighten the ship by casting off its cargo, sought various gods for help and even tried to row the ship to safety. Through all of this, Jonah hid and slept. Upon being discovered, Jonah described his flight from the Lord. In response, the crew cried out, “Why hast thou done this?”

Before continuing the story, I pause to reflect and also ask, “Why do we likewise flee from the Lord, especially at times when we know beyond doubt what His will is?” It’s a human mystery that frequently takes a person a lifetime to appreciate and react to.

After some discussion, the crew cast him into the sea; where “the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights.” Finding himself in the belly of the fish, Jonah repented, cried mightily unto the Lord, was freed and taught repentance to the city of Nineveh. How much better for him if he had just done his original duty!

Like Jonah, when our hearts and minds are not united with Heaven, we afterward have to put forward sore repentance from undesirable circumstances until we are freed and once again aligned with the Lord.

My second obstacle is that I tell Heaven more than I listen. My prayers have regularly echoed the excited Christmas-like desires of a child sitting on Santa’s lap. “I want… I want… I want…”

Jedediah M. Grant, on October 12, 1856, taught the following: “While paying attention to the prayers of some persons in their family devotions, I sometimes notice that they often stop praying without breaking through the darkness and obtaining the Holy Spirit. If I found that it was necessary to pray three hours I would keep praying for that length of time, or until I got the Spirit, unless I remembered that I had neglected a special duty, when I would go and attend to that duty; after which I should want to return and pray until I got the Holy Ghost; I would keep praying until I broke the ice and obtained the Holy Ghost.”

Prayer is bilateral communication.

I offer some thoughts toward effective prayer:

Be a person who prays. As scripture teaches, “believe in God. Believe that He is.” “Pray always.”

Be thoughtful and organize yourself before kneeling in prayer. We have all seen careful preparations before job interviews, first dates, presentations to superiors, meetings before dignitaries, etc. Why then do we rush and give drive-thru dialogue to God?

Be clear. Are you seeking help or inspiration? Do you seek for the blessing or care of the afflicted? Do you seek knowledge or light? Do you seek to overcome sin or temptation? Do you offer gratitude? Do you offer praise? Do you desire the comfort of being in the presence of the Lord? For what purpose do you pray?

Be a listener. When communicating with Heaven, your silence and attentiveness conveys a readiness and willingness to learn and receive instruction. Successful communication requires active listening.

Be in the right place. Though Amulek reminds us to cry unto the Lord from our fields, houses, closets and secret places, we should pray from a place that is safe from distraction. Many of the prophets in scripture testify of locations that they return to often for prayer. We too should have a physical location designated and set apart as a place we can retire to and commune with Heaven.

Be timely. There is a right time and right place for everything. Decisions about heavy laden topics probably should not be crammed into a before-bed-time prayer. I have benefited from morning or mid afternoon conversations with God that have allowed subsequent pondering, or application of heaven-sent inspiration.

Be grateful. A thankful attitude allows you to realize the good behind everything that happens. Without gratitude, we dwell on the bad events and misfortunes of others around us. Gratitude allows us to be observant of the good, simple and pleasant things of life. Appreciation lends to being forgiving and merciful (those that show mercy shall obtain mercy). Allocate regular sessions of gratitude in prayer. Undesirably, a soul void of gratitude is filled with worry, sorrow, spite, fear or hate. Freedom from many woes blooms from being thankful.

In the book, Treatise on Prayer (1818) James Montgomery published this wonderful poem which later became a Christian hymn:

Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire,
Unuttered or expressed;
The motion of a hidden fire
That trembles in the breast.

Prayer is the burden of a sigh,
The falling of a tear
The upward glancing of an eye,
When none but God is near.

Prayer is the simplest form of speech
That infant lips can try;
Prayer, the sublimest strains
That reach The Majesty on high.

Prayer is the Christian’s vital breath,
The Christian’s native air,
His watchword at the gates of death;
He enters Heav’n with prayer.

Prayer is the contrite sinner’s voice,
Returning from his ways,
While angels in their songs rejoice
And cry, “Behold, he prays!”

The saints in prayer appear as one
In word, in deed, and mind,
While with the Father and the Son
Sweet fellowship they find.

No prayer is made by man alone
The Holy Spirit pleads,
And Jesus, on th’eternal throne,
For sinners intercedes.

O Thou by Whom we come to God,
The Life, the Truth, the Way,
The path of prayer Thyself hast trod:
Lord, teach us how to pray.