Prayer

This is more of my thoughts and notes from our Stake Conference back in March. These thoughts come a talk given by Brother Hicks, but I can't remember anything else about him. The basic thoughts are pretty simple. This may seem a bit scattered, and for that I apologize. This is just some simple but profound thoughts about prayer, each new idea "bulleted" with an asterisk.

*Prayer is an opportunity to talk with God. Sometimes we worry about what we should say in our prayers, but it is not something we should worry about. Follow the counsel given in Matthew 10:19-20, which reads:
"But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.
"For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you."
God will help you to know what to pray for. I can personally testify that He will help you and when you allow Him to, your prayers will become more meaningful to you and you will desire to pray more often, for longer periods, and with more intent.

*God doesn't want to hear "words" and vain repetitions (see Matthew 6:7). He wants to hear what is in our hearts. Talk to Him. Tell Him what is on your mind, what you are thinking and how you feel. Make Him your Best Friend.

*Revelation comes through our desire to learn and grow. God will answer our prayers if we are truly seeking the answer. I wonder if sometimes we do not "receive" an answer because we fear what the real answer may be and we don't really want to hear it. We must have our hearts prepared to receive the answer God sends. We must also seek out an appropriate environment to receive God's words. Jesus exemplifies this in Matthew 14:23, which says, "And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone." Being alone and creating an environment where we can have the spirit with us to help know what to pray for and to receive answers will also make our prayers more meaningful to us.

*I'd like to finish with a direct quote of something Brother Hicks said at the end of his talk. I agree with him completely:

"It is only through prayer that I have had my heart settled and found joy."
~Brother Hicks~