by “Prayer does not consist of words, altogether. True, faithful, earnest prayer consists more in the feeling that rises from the heart and from the inward desire of our spirits to supplicate the Lord in humility and in faith, that we may receive his blessings.” – Joseph F. Smith (Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed. 1939. p 219.)
Prayer within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is very important. It is the direct way in which a person is able to communicate with God. As such, it is a fundamental skill I need to master in order to develop myself spiritually and become a Servant of God. Below are some useful points about how I pray, and what I try to focus on within my prayers. Also, check out the video for a summarized discussion. There is a list of additional resources for further study.
Format of Prayers
Unlike some other Christian faiths, prayers for Latter-Day Saints are not recited or memorized. Additionally, we believe that we can seek revelation or answers to personal questions directly from God without the assistance of a spiritual leader. We look at prayer as having a very personal, one on one conversation with God; as such, the things we say need to be heartfelt, sincere, and specific to each of us individually.
There is a general format on how to compose a prayer. It begins by kneeling (or sitting or standing), bowing our head, closing our eyes, and then folding our arms before beginning the prayer. We start by addressing our Heavenly Father, often followed by thanking Him for various blessings or circumstances we are grateful for (but this second part is not required). Since I was a child, I have always started out by saying, “Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for this day.” I then proceed to list additional things for which I am grateful.
Next, I bring up topics that I want to discuss with God. I may ask for guidance in making the best choice with an important purchase like a car or home. I may ask for help with school or work. I may talk about the anxiety I am feeling, or ask for help with situations I don’t know how to best handle. The conversations with my Heavenly Father vary each time I pray and involve the personal, day to day aspects of what is happening in my life. I also ask for His protection over my friends and family. One of the last things I mention (or ask for) is help for me to see the opportunities to serve those around me.
After everything has been said that I want to talk to God about, I then proceed to end the prayer. This is done by saying, “I ask (or say) these things In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.” We believe that when petitioning our Heavenly Father, we must do so in the name of Jesus Christ, so it is important to end a prayer by petitioning the name of the Savior.
Note: We can say prayers in our hearts, which are not verbal and may not involve kneeling, closing our eyes, etc. This type of prayer can occur in any place or any time, perhaps when doing a verbal prayer would not be appropriate in public. We are commanded to “pray without ceasing”(Mosiah 26:39, 1 Thess 5:17) so this necessitates often praying to Heavenly through our thoughts and the feelings of our hearts alone. Our minds should always be drawn towards Heavenly Father.
Avoiding Vain Repetitions
A “vain repetition” is something a person often recites in prayer out of habit, but there is no real desire or sincerity when saying it. These are discouraged and considered very disrespectful to God. As mentioned earlier, I often say “thank you for this day” at the beginning of my prayers. Over the course of decades, that phrase became a vain repetition for me because it was just something I said without thinking about it.
However, a few years ago I was diagnosed with a medical condition that has made me very grateful for every day I am alive. Since then, saying “thank you for this day” is no longer a vain repetition as I mean that phrase with every fiber of my being. I am saying the exact same words; only the feelings behind them have changed. This is the only difference between heartfelt words or vain repetitions when said repeatedly in prayers.
Group Prayer
Prayer is often done in a group. This can be a family prayer, a prayer at church, or any other setting with more than one person. When this happens, one person says the prayer on behalf of everyone else present. The format of the prayer is essentially the same as when saying a personal prayer. Really, the only verbiage that changes is saying “We” instead of “I” when speaking to Heavenly Father and closing the prayer.
Other Christian faiths often join hands when praying in a group or blessing food at the dinner table, etc. but members of my faith do not usually do this. We continue to fold our arms separately.
Resources:
Garrett, H.D. (1978). “How does a person pray without ceasing?”. Ensign: Volume 8 Number 2. Retrieved from https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1978/02/i-have-a-question/how-does-a-person-pray-without-ceasing?lang=eng
“How to Pray”. Come Unto Christ. https://www.comeuntochrist.org/beliefs/prayer/how-to-pray
Schiefer, G.R. (1976). “Where Two or Three Are Gathered”. Ensign: Volume 6 Number 1. Retrieved from https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1976/01/where-two-or-three-are-gathered?lang=eng
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. “Prayer”. Gospel Topics. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/prayer?lang=eng
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (2011). Chapter 3: True, Faithful, Earnest Prayer. Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith. Retrieved from https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/teachings-joseph-f-smith/chapter-3?lang=eng
