AboutPrayer
Prayer is a gift that is meant to strengthen our relationship with both Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. According to Mormon belief, a prayer is said to the father in the name of his son, Jesus Christ. During His earthly ministry, Jesus taught us that through prayer we can seek comfort and guidance from our heavenly father. Through prayer, we can receive inspiration and confirmation that the decisions we are making are right.
Jesus Christ taught the disciples to pray. In Luke, chapter 11, he teaches the disciples to pray to the lord and talk to Him like they would a father. He tells them to pray to honor God and to recognize their dependence on God. He tells them to ask God to watch over them and protect them. Jesus taught the disciples to be persistent when asking from God. He tells us that a person can pray to God at any time, in any situation. Jesus promises us that God hears and answers our prayers. God taught the disciples the Lord’s Prayer. The Lords Prayer was given as a model for us to follow. Mormons believe in the importance of saying personal daily prayers to Heavenly Father. In Matthew 6:9, Jesus says not to use vain repetition when praying. Prayers are to be personal and heartfelt.
Jesus depended on prayer to seek counsel and guidance from Heavenly Father during His earthly ministry. Before His crucifixion, Jesus prayed to Heavenly Father in the Garden of Gethsemane. He asked the Lord to spare Him from such pain saying “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me, yet not my will but yours be done. (Luke 22:42) Jesus used prayer to ask of the Lord. We need to use prayer to strengthen our relationship with the Heavenly Father, just as Jesus did when he pleaded for His life.
Mormons take the sacrament in their weekly church meetings. The sacrament is when members partake of bread and water to remember their covenants with the Lord. A prayer is said over the bread and water, that it may represent the body of Jesus Christ. The prayer was initiated by Christ at the Last Supper unto the disciples. The purpose of the blessing is the same today. The sacrament prayer helps us remember Christ’s sacrifice.
Prayer can provide comfort during some of the most trying and painful times of your life. In the name of Jesus Christ, we can talk to our Heavenly Father. In John 15:16, Jesus tells us that "the Father will give you whatever you ask in My Name..." Years later, Joseph Smith knelt in a grove of trees to ask which church he should join. God appeared to Him, telling Him that he was to start his own church. Because of a simple, humble prayer said by Joseph Smith, we have a restored gospel. Jesus ensures us that if we ask with a sincere heart all things will be revealed to us in God’s time.