Prayer does work and when done properly it works very well. The workings of prayer are rather simple, but despite this simplicity, so many fail to understand how prayer works, and many find that prayer works only sometimes and they are accepting of that. The scriptures tell us that we are to pray often and diligently. This is not an idle direction from God neither is it contingent on personal preference.
A person who prays rightly and often will find that his/her state of mind and heart will abide in the first commandment. Their faith will receive support and direction, for all faith that is not focused into proper works is a dead faith, but rather than getting into the doctrinal support and reason for proper and frequent prayer, I wish to write here a personal aspect of proper prayer.
Prayer has worked well for me, despite experiences where it appeared at times that what help I had asked for seemed to never come. My frustration and discouragement was, by retrospect, a test of faith, one that challenged my own resolve. A test of my willingness to endure and remain faithful despite the circumstances at hand. There has been many times where I gave up on prayer, choosing the road that puts aside any consideration of calling upon God, but when I did, in came experiences that led me to review my (lousy) choice to ignore prayer.
The reason it happened this way is because of the success I did have with prayer. I had developed an open connection and relationship with God and when I began to severe this connection, it was the same as withdrawing. With any withdrawal of prayer to God, opens the door to evil. Therefore, frustrations or disappointments with prayer, as I see it, are common experiences, even for the faithful.
I wondered many times if I was in the right place or right church or that God had abandoned me, all because of how prayer did not work out, or because of any reason I believed justified the cessation of prayer. Is it not a natural tendancy of our mortal minds to quit those things that seem to involve unpleasant experiences and emotions? Yet, are these negative experiences part of the affliction we are to endure? If you disbelieve me, simply remember the affliction that Jesus Christ and his apostles suffered, all in the name of faith.
I read some accounts from ex-members who quit the Church claiming that our beliefs and doctrine that God answers prayers was a false belief or doctrine. They used their negative experience to announce to the world this Church was false. Then they joined another church claiming they are now in the right place, but are they? What have they carried with them as a result?
They carried with them, into the other Christian church, the same problem, that their prayers are not answered. Ponder this for a moment. Leaving the Church because prayer does not work, maintain such a belief while entering another church and holding to that belief about prayer while a member of the other church. What does this say?
In order that they receive support for their disappointment with LDS doctrine and in order that their disappointment receives support, their new church must also deny that prayer and communication with God is not possible, and do this while proclaiming the Bible is God’s word. The same Bible that says we must pray fervently. Quite a contradiction against their claims, isn’t it?
This hypocrisy that fills their heart must now be sustained, because it is the fuel that keeps them against this LDS Church. Now they must also deny the scriptures about prayer in the Bible … ( see Matt 26:41/ James 5:13, 16 / Acts 10:2 / 1 Thes 5:17 / Romans 8:26 / Eph 6:28 / Jude 1:20 ), … in order to sustain their anti-Mormon position that prayers are not answered. This is done in order to ensure there is a denial of the Mormon doctrine that God confirms this LDS Church is true as claimed by Moroni (Moroni 10:4).
What does such an example of the disgruntled ex-Mormon show us that we can learn from?
It shows us that Satan can lead us to false perceptions and false beliefs because of our frustrations and disappointments about prayer. All we have to do is become disgruntled and follow beliefs of contention and discord, even if they are in the name of the Bible.
When any denial of prayer occurs, no matter where a person is in life, that says Satan wins. It does not matter if this denial of prayer is used against this Church or is used to deny all beliefs about God, it allows Satan to win.
If at any time that a person claims God blesses them, this confirms that prayer works, even if these others cannot truly say what blessings they received. At any time a person proclaims God guides them, helps them, or that the Holy Ghost is in them, they confirm that the doctrine about prayer is true, be it in the Bible or Book of Mormon, as both scriptures support the doctrine of prayer.
When I came to realize this truth against the backdrop of false Anti-Mormon claims, I saw that any problem I perceive about prayer is about me and was not about the doctrine in the scriptures. This told me that I had seriously look at myself and what am I doing that either does not listen to God, blinds me to God’s answers or what am I doing that causes God to withhold answers. In other words I took responsibility for my own sowing because my reaping (results) were not good.
Generally, without having to get into too much detail and overly long web pages, I had to return to the basics of prayer. The basics are these; to be sincere, honest, contrite of heart and mind, to exercise patience and accept that God’s will to answer prayers will come in good timing. With this faithful measure comes faithful results and God operates by faith, not by expectation, demands, or selfishness that he must do this or that. It is the falling away from the basics that leads us into spiritual troubles and opens the inner door to evil influences. For any belief or doctrine that says prayer is not needed or prayers are not answered, is an evil doctrine. The moment you accept or believe these evil doctrines or pleasures, prayer will definitely not work for you at all.
With the basics of prayer is the act of enduring. This says that prayers will not always be answered to your liking and timing. The expection that all prayers are answered is showing ill regard to what is prayed for and how it is prayed. This is a loss of self-responsibility.
When I say to you that my prayers have been answered, I speak from experience. If someone counters saying that Satan must be answering me is a hypocrite and liar, because if Satan is believed the one answering, then does Satan have more power than God? – and if Satan is the only one answering but God does not or rarely does, then we are all certainly doomed.
The moment hypocrisy tries to fill the voids about prayer, run fast from such things and pray – fervently.
Avoid all contention about doctrines and churches and do not partake in any fights with other Christians. Let the contention makers live with their contention so you can seek a peaceful place to pray. Joseph Smith sought solitude for his prayer, a prayer that was prompted by a Bible passage! (James 1:5)
Use your journal to record your prayers. In fact writing your prayer first, when possible, will help you focus your thoughts on how you can make your prayer concise and clear, then ponder it in your mind and when ready, pray to heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ.
This along with practicing the basics is a strong prayer and it will get answered, but be willing to accept an answer that to you, will come unexpectedly. Above all, be patient. Sometimes God does test faith and resolve.
Is what I say about prayer only for Mormon’s? – Nay it is not, for if you belong to another Christian church and follow the basics about prayer, seeking diligently to God in all honesty sincerity and contriteness, making good prayers, putting aside all thoughts of Mormons and focus on just your own personal path to God, he God will answer your prayers. In this I promise you this is true.
Amen
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