I grew up saying prayers regularly. My mother was not very religious when I was young, but I spent a lot of time with my grandmother and she taught me to pray in the morning, before each meal, and before I went to bed.
She taught me as the prophet Alma said, “Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day.”
As much as her teachings were influential, nothing left more of an impression on me than seeing my grandmother kneeling by her bed and praying. I don’t think that she meant for me to see her praying, but I spent a lot of time with her and I would see her praying often.
I served as a missionary in France, where I would share the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who were searching for truth; for God; to increase their spirituality and to gain more knowledge of eternal matters. I was surprised when we would meet people who did not know how to pray, since it had been a part of my life since I was young.
When we would meet people who wanted to learn how to pray, we would explain that our Father in Heaven wanted to hear from His children, and prayer was the way in which we communicated with Him.
We would respectfully address Him, maybe saying something like, “Father in Heaven.”
Then we would suggest that they thank God for their blessings.
It might go something like, “Father in Heaven, I thank thee for my family and for my good health.”
Then we would instruct them that we can ask for the things of our heart. Maybe something like, “Father in Heaven, I ask thee to bless me that I may feel peace during these troubling times. Bless my children with safety in a dangerous world. Help me to feel Thy Spirit in my life and direct my decisions.”
And then we would teach them to close in the name of Jesus Christ; “In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen,” — these are the basics of prayer.
Prayer is our connection with heaven. It is how we commune with our Divine Creator.
I’ve found out through my life, as I’ve prayed daily, it helps me to keep an eternal perspective on life as I take some time for the Lord each day.
I believe that it has power.
I believe that God is ready and willing to answer our prayers. And I believe that God is still a God of miracles and He can bless the lives of those for whom I pray.
I have also found out that praying verbally when I have some privacy helps me to feel like I am speaking with my Father in Heaven more than when I just pray silently in my mind.
I think that both are equally valid, but there is something different about hearing your own voice as you pray vocally.
There is a beloved hymn that we sing in church, the chorus says, “Oh, how praying rests the weary! Prayer will change the night to day. So, when life gets dark and dreary, Don’t forget to pray.”
Not everybody is as lucky as I was to have a loving grandmother to teach them how to pray. I do know that prayer is something that can add a measure of joy and peace to one’s life.
As we pray for others, we turn our hearts towards them, and our love and compassion increases.
The world can seem pretty dark and dreary.
Don’t forget to pray.
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Issues of Faith is a rotating column by religious leaders on the North Olympic Peninsula. Bishop Jason Bringhurst is the leader of the Mount Pleasant Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Port Angeles. His email is jasonbring@gmail.com.
