The Importance of Prayer

I have been thinking about prayer lately. Prayer is different for everybody. For some people it is a personal experience meant to draw us closer to our Heavenly Father. For others it is an intimidating and scary experience. I know sometimes it becomes like a grocery list, filled with nothing but our needs. To others it is a chance to offer all the thanks they have stored up through out the day. I don't know what route your prayers follow, maybe they have a little bit of all of these things at different times. I DO know that the most important thing is to say our prayers.

I came upon a talk by Elder D. Todd Christofferson, given in a CES Fireside in January of last year. The talk is called Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread. Elder Christofferson talks about how it is our daily decisions that will make up the people we become and that we need to look to God to make the appropriate choices. Again I thought of prayer. The daily decision to pray makes up the faithful, Christlike people we wish to be and brings us ever closer to our Heavenly Father. Just as everyday, the Israelites were asked to gather enough manna for their nourishment, we likewise need to collect our spiritual manna, or sustenance for our day through prayer.

As far as how we should pray, Elder Christofferson offers the following pattern with a promise:

"In reality, there aren’t very many things in a day that are totally without significance. Even the mundane and repetitious can be tiny but significant building blocks that in time establish the discipline and character and order needed to realize our plans and dreams. Therefore, as you ask in prayer for your daily bread, consider thoughtfully your needs—both what you may lack and what you must protect against. As you retire to bed, think about the successes and failures of the day and what will make the next day a little better. And thank your Heavenly Father for the manna He has placed along your path that sustained you through the day. Your reflections will increase your faith in Him as you see His hand helping you to endure some things and to change others. You will be able to rejoice in one more day, one more step toward eternal life."

 Elder D. Todd Christofferson

I know that through prayer I have been able to develop a relationship with my Heavenly Father that has sustained me through many a hard time and lifted me higher still at times of joy.