FIRST PRESIDENCY MESSAGE
The Prayer of Faith
BY PRESIDENT HENRY B.
EYRING
First Counselor in the First Presidency
Prayer is more than words we speak to God. It is a two-way
communication between God and His children.
When prayer works as it should, we express the feelings of our
hearts in simple words. Heavenly Father typically answers by putting thoughts
in our minds accompanied by feelings. He always hears the sincere prayer we
offer when we pray with a commitment to obey Him, whatever His answer and
whenever it comes.
The Lord makes this promise to all who read and pray about the Book
of Mormon:
“And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that
ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things
are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent,
having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power
of the Holy Ghost.
“And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all
things” (Moroni 10:4–5).
That promise is sure. Millions of people have tested and proved
that wonderful promise about prayer by receiving a blessing that has filled
their lives with joy and lasting happiness. That promise applies to all our
prayers to know the mind and will of God for us. We can apply it whenever we
receive counsel from a servant of God who is authorized to give us direction.
For instance, we can depend on it when we have listened to a sermon in general
conference. We can apply it when we are taught by humble missionaries called of
God by the living prophet. It applies as well to the counsel we receive from
our bishop or branch president.
For prayer to work in our lives, the rules are simple. We must
ask to know what is true by praying to the Father in the name of Jesus
Christ. We must ask with a sincere heart, which means we must have
an honest intent to do whatever God’s answer requires of us. And our real
intent must spring from our faith in Jesus Christ.
The investigator who reads the Book of Mormon before being
baptized and confirmed may receive both an assurance that the book is true and
a witness that Joseph
Smith translated it by
the power of God. After being confirmed a member of the Church, we can have the
Holy Ghost as our companion to confirm other truths. Then, whenever we pray in
faith, we can expect that the Holy Ghost will testify to us that Jesus is the
Christ, that God the Father lives, and that They love us and all
of Heavenly Father’s children.
That is one reason there is a promise in the Book of Mormon that
we will have charity in our hearts as the Holy Ghost bears witness to us that
Jesus is the Christ: “If a man be meek and lowly in heart, and confesses by the
power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, he must needs have charity” (Moroni 7:44).
There is a great opportunity to grow spiritually every fast
Sunday. Fast Sunday can help us approach the experiences of Alma and the sons
of Mosiah, who prayed and fasted to know eternal truth so that they could teach
the Lamanites with power, authority, and love (see Alma 17:3, 9).
On fast Sunday we combine prayer and fasting. For the blessing
of the poor, we give a generous fast offering to the bishop or the branch
president that equals at least the value of the two meals we forego. Our
thoughts and our prayers are turned to the Savior and to those He would have us
serve by addressing their spiritual and temporal needs.
Our prayers and desires thus come closer to being like the
prayers and desires of the Savior as we fast to become more meek, teachable,
and loving. And as He did, we pray to know the Father’s will for us and to do
it.
Teaching
from This Message
President Eyring teaches that prayer and fasting can help us
“know eternal truth.” Consider where the testimonies of those you visit may
need strengthening and prepare a lesson on that topic. For example, if a person
you visit lost a close friend or family member, consider discussing eternal
families and life after death. You could offer to fast with those you visit in
order to help them gain a testimony of that principle.
Youth
Prepare
before You Pray
President Eyring reminds us that prayer “is a two-way
communication between God and His children.” Taking the time to prepare for our
prayers can make that two-way communication possible. You could use your
journal to spend a few minutes preparing to pray each day. You could make lists
of blessings you want to thank Heavenly Father for, people who need your
prayers, and questions you may need answered. Then invite the Spirit by singing
a hymn or reading a few verses of scripture. As you pray, pay attention to how
the Holy
Ghost guides what you
should say, and pay attention to your feelings and thoughts (see D&C 8:2–3). Consider recording your experiences in
your journal and reviewing answers you receive. You could also use the
activities on pages 95–97 of Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Missionary
Service to help
you evaluate your prayers and learn to recognize the Holy
Ghost.
Children
Prayer
Sandwich
How do you know what to say when you pray? You can begin your
prayers by saying, “Dear Heavenly Father,” and end them by saying, “In the name
of Jesus
Christ, amen.” What you say in the middle is your choice, just like
choosing what goes in a sandwich.
Choose the pieces you would like in your sandwich. Write the
things you would like to pray for next to them. You can say “I thank Thee” for
blessings, talk about your worries, ask for blessings, or pray about questions.
“Let Me Learn to Pray”
cji
10/01/14
Seeking to expose my heart
so afraid to voice thoughts
knowing speaking with Father
who already knows these
while expression is slow
the intent is ever so pure
let me learn to pray truly
understanding he hears me
and thus I’ll hear his answers
expose my heart unto Him!
Copyright © 2014 – cji
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