Prayer
The Fall of Adam separated us from the presence of God, at least, while we live on earth. In Mormon belief, every one of us lived with God before we were born, but being born removes us from him. Prayer is our way to speak with God, to establish contact with him. Prayer allows us to ease our loneliness for our Heavenly Father, to thank Him for all that He has given us, to ask for His comfort and guidance, and to ask for blessings to be given others in need.
Since prayer is our way to speak with Heavenly Father, prayers should not usually be set and scripted repetitions. The Mormon prayer is usually unique and spontaneous, born out of individual thanks and individual needs. In some instances, Mormons do offer prayers with specific wording, however—these prayers are given as part of special ordinances, such as the sacrament or baptism. In these cases, the prayers need to be the same every time, but in personal prayer, “prayer formulas” should be avoided—prayer should always, always be thoughtful. Members do, however, use a simple pattern for guidance. They begin by addressing God as “Heavenly Father.” After the address, they thank Him for their blessings. These blessings can be general or specific, large or small—we can thank the Lord for the beauty of the day or for His aid in helping us study for a test or work through a difficult matter. We can thank Him for his Son and gospel, for our family. The list of what we have to be grateful for is usually endless. Because of this, the gratitude portion of a prayer should be given priority
In the beliefs of Mormonism, after giving thanks, the prayer usually moves onto asking the Lord for blessings and for aid. These can, like gratitudes, be given generally or specifically. We can ask that the Lord heal us and others from illness, we can ask for strength to continue in adversity. We can even ask for such specific and small things . . . such as that our tank will not run empty before we can get to the gas station. Often, Mormons will ask for the Lord’s protection against spiritual and physical danger. They will ask for guidance when presented with a tricky or important decision, or when they find themselves in period of struggle or doubt. They often also ask that the Lord’s work and the work of the Church go forward, often asking for His blessing on the Mormon missionaries and the Mormon prophet.
Also, although it isn’t always easy to want to leave a matter in the Lord’s hands, loving and wise as He is, Mormons must always also understand that all things are in His hands. It is sometimes appropriate to add “if it be according to Thy will” to a prayerful request, maybe especially when it’s something we wish we had personal control of.
To close, all prayers should be offered up in the Savior’s name. In Mormons’ beliefs, Christ is our Advocate, our Mediator with the Father. By the grace of Christ, we are able to receive the Father’s blessings and be cleansed to return to His presence one day. Therefore, prayers are concluded with a phrase similar to “I the name of Jesus Christ, amen.”
Mormons are to pray twice a day, morning and evening. When it’s possible, prayers should be done in private, while kneeling with head bowed, eyes closed, and arms folded (or hands clasped). Personal prayers can also be lifted at any other time, whenever the need or inclination is felt, or even not felt. In fact, in Mormonism, one should always have a prayer in their hearts, always seeking for the Lord’s guidance and influence in all their doings.
Families are very important in the Church and family prayer is strongly encouraged. A family can receive great unity and spiritual strength by praying together. Family members take turns giving the prayer, but all say “amen” at the end, emphasizing their closeness and agreement, with each other and with God.
Also, prayers are given at both the beginning and end of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These prayers invite the Holy Ghost into the meetings. They are not, however, meant to be little sermons, but should be heartfelt and simple.
Prayer is a wonderful privilege given to all people, a wonderful opportunity to speak with God – to thank him and to receive guidance from him. We should never neglect this privilege for any reason – the result is a profound loss of blessings and knowledge. The Book of Mormon declares: “For if ye would hearken unto the Spirit which teacheth a man to pray ye would know that ye must pray; for the evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray” (2 Nephi 32:8).