Thoughts on Prayer

I had the opportunity to teach the lesson in Elders Quorum today.  The lesson was Prayer-A Commandment and a Blessing out of the Joseph Fielding Smith manual.  I have reviewed this material for the last few weeks in preparation for the lesson.  In doing so I have pondered much on the subject of prayer.  I often feel like I do not do a very good job praying and really communicating with my Heavenly Father.  Perhaps I am not as sincere in prayer as I should be at times and simply utter a prayer in a sense of duty rather than truly speaking with my Heavenly Father.  It is not always that way.  I can look back on life and recall prayers that had great meaning and significance in my life.  There have been powerful experiences where I fell to my knees in great discouragement and found peace that comes only through communing with Heavenly Father.  Experience has helped me come to know that Heavenly Father is real, that He hears our prayers, He knows who we are individually, and He does not leave us comfortless.  I am grateful for those times when prayer has lifted me and carried me forward when I would have otherwise given up. 

One of the sections of the lesson that stood out to me was section 3.  It is short so I will share it here.

3 All we do should be in harmony with the expressions of our prayers.

We should not pray merely with our lips; but in every act, in our conversation, in all that we undertake to do, we should try to carry out the expressions of our prayers, and be in harmony with the thoughts that we declare to the Lord in our daily supplications.
Are we in possession of the spirit of prayer?  Have we made it a part of our very being?  Are we in touch with our Heavenly Father through the Holy Spirit, or are we not?

I could do better in this regard.  I often pray that I can be an instrument in the hands of the Lord.  Am I living my life in a way that I am carrying out that prayer?  Am I putting myself in a position to be and instrument in His hands?  Am I fulfilling by responsibilities as a priesthood holder in the home, as a home teacher, in my church callings and in my daily walk and conversation?  Honestly, some days are better than others. 

I know that my prayers are not perfect.  My communion with my Heavenly Father can be better.  In the lesson Joseph Fielding Smith points out that Heavenly Father can get along just fine without our prayers.  His work will move forward whether we pray or whether we do not.  He says prayer is something that we need, not that the Lord needs.  Our prayers are uttered more for our sakes, to build us up and give us strength and courage, and to increase our faith in him. 

I remember a time after returning home from the mission field.  I was living in an apartment with Jim down in Las Vegas.  I came home one afternoon feeling alone and a little discouraged.  I was having a hard time adjusting to life.  I remember well falling to my knees and crying out to Heavenly Father.  It certainly isn't a manly thing to disclose here that I wept greatly but I did.  Humbled and submissive I approached the Lord in that apartment.  Sweet was the peace that came and the assurance that all would be well.  Those kind of prayers have happened often in my life as I have found myself feeling alone and afraid.  A reassuring feeling that Heavenly Father was near, that He was aware of me and that things would work out came as I humbled myself in sincere prayer.  Truly our prayers are uttered more for our sakes and Joseph Fielding Smith said.  They do build us up, give us strength and courage and they increase our faith in Heavenly Father. 

And so the desire of my heart is to better commune with my Heavenly Father in prayer.  I want to more fully enjoy my relationship with my Heavenly Father and truly learn how to approach Him in sweet and humble prayer.  I also want to live my life in harmony with the expressions of my prayers and be found by the Lord going about and doing good.