No Vain Repetition

After the resurrected Christ had spent a day with the faithful and now faith-filled Nephites in the Western Hemisphere, He ascended into heaven. By the next morning, word had spread throughout the region that the Messiah had come. Many thousands gathered to the place to learn more. The twelve chosen disciples baptized all who wanted to be baptized. Then the multitude prayed. 

Angels came and taught more doctrine to the twelve disciples. And while the angels were present with the people, Jesus Himself descended again and stood among the people. He commanded the crowd to kneel and pray again. Then, He separated Himself from the gathered worshipers and prayed to the Father for them. 

The scripture then records:

And it came to pass that when Jesus had thus prayed unto the Father, he came unto his disciples, and behold, they did still continue, without ceasing, to pray unto him; and they did not multiply many words, for it was given unto them what they should pray, and they were filled with desire.
--3 Nephi 19:24

As part of my prayer practice, I too can ask what to pray for. The purpose of prayer is not to convince God to do my bidding but to align myself with His will and to access blessings that He is already willing to give me but which are predicated on my asking. Thus praying for what to pray for is a useful exercise. 

What the natural man within me thinks I need and what God knows I need are diametrically opposing views of myself. The key to a successful life is to overcome the natural man and accept the will of God. Prayer holds that key for me. 

I do not need to multiply, or repeat, vain repetitions to extend my prayers. It is not the length but the depth of the prayer that matters to God. A short, thoughtful, sincere prayer, followed by intense listening, is far more pleasing to the Lord than a long, pretentious oration full of trite phrases and empty platitudes meant more to please my own ears than reach God's heart.

Ripples in a Pool

The resurrected Jesus prayed among the multitude of His Nephite witnesses in the Western Hemisphere to set the example. He then gave them this commandment: 

Pray in your families unto the Father, always in my name, that your wives and your children may be blessed.
--3 Nephi 18:21

Praying for others is an essential element of Christian discipleship. It is more than a suggestion or a good idea, it is a commandment. 

If my daily prayers do not include the seeking of blessings for others, my petitions for myself are in vain. Prayer is like ripples in a pool of water. They tend to start in the center with myself and then spread out in concentric circles to take in first those who are closest to me, then my extended family, neighbors and friends, my acquaintances, the broader community, my leaders (both secular and religious), the nation, and eventually even my enemies. 

Jesus teaches me here to begin with my immediate family and then work my way out. I pray in His name because I always try to pray His prayer—the kind of prayer He would offer in my circumstance. When I learn that kind of prayer, nothing will be withheld from me.

Most Frequent Promise

The resurrected Christ taught the following precept to his Nephite disciples in the Western Hemisphere:

And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you.
--3 Nephi 18:20

The most frequently repeated promise in scripture: ask and ye shall receive. The caveats are that 1) I must ask the Father; 2) I must ask in Christ's name, which means I must pray as He would pray; 3) I must pray for the right thing, which will be revealed to me by the Holy Ghost; and 4) I must truly believe that God can and will answer my prayer, which is to ask with real intent. 

Answers to prayers are not capricious or haphazard. God is anxious to bless me with all I can receive. When I ask, in faith, with an eye single to God's glory, and not My own vain ambition, I turn the key that lets God go to work.

Spiritual Air and Water

While the resurrected Christ ministered among the Nephites in the Western Hemisphere, he instituted the ordinance of the Sacrament of the Last Supper. His gospel is the same on both sides of the world and so are the ordinances. Directly after administering the sacrament, Jesus encouraged His twelve special disciples to pray:

Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must watch and pray always, lest ye be tempted by the devil, and ye be led away captive by him. 
--3 Nephi 18:15

He then turned to the multitude who had just partaken of the sacrament and repeated the same instructions:

Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must watch and pray always lest ye enter into temptation; for Satan desireth to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.
--3 Nephi 18:18

Repetition in scripture indicates significance and emphasis. The Savior used these exact words twice in this brief sermon on prayer. He did not want the lesson lost. 

Watching and praying are of vital importance to my spiritual welfare. They are like air and water. 

For what must I watch? Temptation—the sly, insidious, almost imperceptible invitations to stray from the Lord's way, the covenant path. The Big 10 are not Satan's weapons. I'm highly unlikely to commit murder, rob a bank, or perjure myself in court. To quote Joseph Smith, "A disposition to commit such was never in my nature" (Pearl of Great Price, Joseph Smith History 1:28).

A million little things can rack up a big score, however. I must watch for the small sins—often not so much what I do but what I don't do. Despite the Savior's injunction to "watch", I become easily lulled into complacency and inattention. I simply forget to watch.

And so, the second injunction to "pray always." Knowing I would fail to watch perfectly, Jesus directs me to bolster my faulty watching with prayer. When I watch, I put the onus on myself to be aware of the temptations that beset me and to avoid them. When I pray, however, I put the onus (and my faith) on God  to help me, to watch for me, and to steer me clear of the obstacles my enemy puts in my path. Between my feeble attempts and God's immense power, there is hope for me.

One more thought: Note the scripture does not say "pray regularly" or "pray daily". It says to "pray always". How do I pray always if I cannot watch always? Given my one-track mind, how do I focus on watching and praying continually while I must also give my attention to the things of daily life, particularly the mental activities like writing? Should I lock myself in a monastic cell and shut the door to all outside distractions? I could watch and pray always, but I wouldn't be of much use to anyone.

Though we usually think of the word "always" in its primary sense of "at all times and on all occasions," it has a second meaning: "as a last resort." For instance, if you can't get your car to start, you can always call a tow truck. Is that the meaning of "prayer always?" If I have done all I can to watch myself and keep myself out of trouble, is prayer my last resort? Is prayer my last hope? Isn't prayer really my only hope? Isn't faith in Christ and repentance my one true hope?

A Prayer for Others

The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, chronicles the advent of the resurrected Savior to a people in the Western Hemisphere. During His glorious three days among the people, He taught them His doctrine and His gospel, the same principles He taught to His Judean disciples before His death and resurrection.

Among the many precepts Jesus taught the eager people was the injunction to pray. And so they would understand the form of prayer He wanted them to experience, Jesus taught by example. After directing the multitude to kneel, "he himself also knelt upon the earth; and behold he prayed unto the Father, and the things which he prayed cannot be written, and the multitude did bear record who heard him. And after this manner do they bear record: The eye hath never seen, neither hath the ear heard, before, so great and marvelous things as we saw and heard Jesus speak unto the Father; And no tongue can speak, neither can there be written by any man, neither can the hearts of men conceive so great and marvelous things as we both saw and heard Jesus speak; and no one can conceive of the joy which filled our souls at the time we heard him pray for us unto the Father" (3 Nephi 17:15-17).

Having set the example, Christ then commanded His disciples:

And as I have prayed among you even so shall ye pray in my church, among my people who do repent and are baptized in my name. Behold I am the light; I have set an example for you.
--3 Nephi 18:16

The church is a society in which we pray for one another. If I do not pray for others, I am missing an important aspect of membership and discipleship in Christ's church.

I do not claim to understand how prayers on behalf of others work. I believe, however, that my prayers for others is a similitude of Christ's advocacy and intervention for me. 

God the Father knows all things. He doesn't need me to tell Him what to do or how to do it, either for myself or for others. Yet, Christ's commandment to pray always and for others stands as a critical injunction to those who would be His disciples. 

And so, because I want to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, I pray for others. It's a habit. I can't stop myself. I think of people I love, and I ask God to bless them with whatever they need. I rarely know what even those closest to me truly need. I may see outward signs of distress or trials, but I don't know what God knows about their real, eternal needs. Nevertheless, I pray. 

I hear of a neighbor struggling with an illness or affliction, and I pray for them. I don't know how God plans to heal or fix that person, or if fixing is what they actually need in their eternal progression, but I can at least pray that they will be strengthened to endure and to know if God wants me to do something to help.

I see a homeless stranger wandering the street, and I pray for them. If I gave a panhandler a million dollars, I couldn't fix their life. Even God can't fix their life if they won't turn to Him and let Him in. But I still pray. They not be praying for themselves, but at least someone is praying for them.

When I think of praying for others, I am reminded of the moving lyrics of the song "Not Too Far From Here" by Hillary Weeks:

Somebody's down to their last dime.
Somebody's running out of time.
Not too far from here.

Somebody's got nowhere else to go.
Somebody needs a little hope.
Not too far from here

And I may not know their name,
But I'm praying just the same
That You'll use me Lord to wipe away a tear,
'Cause somebody's crying
Not too far from here.

Somebody's troubled and confused.
Somebody's got nothing left to lose.
Not too far from here

Somebody's forgotten how to trust.
Somebody's dying for love.
Not too far from here

It may be a stranger's face,
But I'm praying for Your grace
To move in me and take away the fear,
'Cause somebody's hurting
Not too far from here.

Help me Lord not to turn away from pain.
Help me not to rest while those around me weep.
Give me Your strength and compassion
When somebody finds the road of life too steep.

Now I'm letting down my guard,
And I'm opening my heart.
Help me speak Your love to every needful ear.
Someone is waiting not too far from here.

Not a Ritual

After His resurrection, Jesus visited a group of people living on the American continent. These people, called Nephites after their first great prophet, had descended from ancient Israelites and were believers in the Messiah. The Nephites lived in a tradition of prophets, revelation, and scripture for six centuries. Jesus came to them to fulfill the prophecies of their prophets and to comply with His own prophecy: "Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be cone fold, and one shepherd" (John 10:16).

The resurrected Christ taught the Nephites the same gospel that He had taught the Jews in Jerusalem. Having delivered His message, Jesus prepared to depart. When He looked about the congregation, however, the people "did look steadfastly upon him as if they would ask him to tarry a little longer with them" (3 Nephi 17:5). Moved with compassion, Jesus stayed, healed their sick, and then taught them to pray.

And when he had said these words, he himself also knelt upon the earth; and behold he prayed unto the Father, and the things which he prayed cannot be written, and the multitude did bear record who heard him.
--3 Nephi 17:15

Jesus, our Exemplar in all things, set the example of prayer. Though He was resurrected and exalted, He still talked to His Father in prayer. 

Prayer is not a ritual. It is simply talking to God. The difference between praying and talking is the audience. We use a special word for this form of communication because we are talking to a special Being, but the essence of the act is the same. We put our thoughts into words, speak them either verbally or silently in our minds, and then we listen for a response. 

Like any talent, the more we practice, the easier the process becomes.

Wanting the Right Thing

Two decades before Jesus's birth, a prophet named Nephi preached the gospel of Christ and the coming of the Messiah on the American continent. The people among whom he labored were proud and stubborn. Few of them accepted Nephi's words. Nevertheless, he worked diligently and fearlessly for years to bring the people to repentance.

At a particularly low point in his ministry, not knowing what more he could do to bring righteousness to a benighted population, Nephi heard the voice of God. The Lord encouraged Nephi to continue his efforts and gave him this blessing and promise:

And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works; yea, even that all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will.
--Helaman 10:5

The most powerful prayers are those that align with God's will. Though I am certainly no prophet, when I learn to pray for what God wants, and I want the same thing in all sincerity, He is unrestrained in granting my petition. The key to getting what I want is to want the right thing, which is the thing God wants for me. So, a good start to a powerful prayer is to ask, "Lord, what do you want for me?" When I get that answer, the rest falls into place.

Stronger in Humility

The prophet-author Mormon editorialized on the situation of the Nephites in a period in which the "pride cycle" was spinning faster than usual. The Nephite people had just experienced a brief period of peace and prosperity in which the church of Christ had grown and flourished even to the astounding of the priests and prophets. And now, because of their prosperity, many Nephites were sliding down the slippery slope of pride and persecution. 

A minority, however, remained faithful to the faith. They stayed on the path of righteousness. How did they do it? Mormon tells us, and what he says about the Nephites in their day also applies to us in our day:

Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God.
--Helaman 3:35

An interesting choice of words: "stronger in humility." I take this phrase to mean that humility became a more powerful force in the lives of the believers. It became an enabling power. As they became more humble and teachable, they acquired more power from heaven. 

As their humility grew, so did their faith in Christ. It became firm, then solid, then unbendable, then unbreakable. 

Humility and faith go hand in hand. The more humble I am, the more I see the need to depend on God. The more I depend on Him, the more He can help me. The more He helps me, the better I come to know Him. And the better I know him, the more I trust him. Trust is another word for faith. I act with growing confidence in my beliefs. 

The more thoroughly I trust God, and the more evidence I acquire of His love for and interest in me, the more joy I experience. How can one not feel exquisite joy when he recognizes that the Supreme Being in the universe knows him and cares about him?  How can he not rejoice in knowing this earth, life itself, and the grand plan of salvation were created to lift him to exaltation with God? 

Note that I do not purify and sanctify my own heart. I can only yield it to God. It is by His power through Christ's Atonement that my heart is changed. 

The key to this marvelous transformation is prayer and fasting. I start by reaching out to God, even blindly at first, but with hope. Prayer initiates the humbling, refining process in me. Once I make space for God in my life, He can go to work.

A Full Heart

I addressed this verse of scripture previously, but it so rich in content and meaning, I return to it with another insight that affects my prayer life.

Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you.
--Alma 34:27

My heart being the figurative center of my thoughts and desires, it should be occupied with constant communion with God. When my heart is constantly filled by the Holy Spirit, I will be drawn instinctively to prayer, for the Spirit teaches me that I must pray always (see 2 Nephi 32:8).

A Place for Quiet, Calm Prayers

Amulek concluded his teachings to the Zoramites about prayer with this injunction:

Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you.
--Alma 34:27

Amulek makes a distinction between crying to the Lord and offering constant, silent prayer. To cry is to beg and beseech with strong emotion. I face times when I must be fully engaged in prayer, when a sedate and pleasant prayer will not do. When my heart is broken and my limits are stretched and the depth of my soul heaves very close to the surface, a cry to God is the most direct route to aid and comfort in desperate moments. 

I cannot constantly be wrought up, however. When the crisis has passed and peace has come, I still have to function in the world. In the routine of daily life, quiet, calm prayers of gratitude are also acceptable to the Lord. Like Teviah in Fiddler on the Roof, I find myself speaking to God throughout the day. A "thank you" here and a "please help" there keep the lines of communication open between me and my Heavenly Father, with Jesus and the Holy Ghost always listening in on the party line.

In My Closet

Recall that Alma and Amulek were trying to teach the Zoramites to pray. The two missionaries wanted to help the people of Zoram overcome their false traditions of vain public prayer. As part of Amulek's instructions, he included this statement.

But this is not all; ye must pour out your souls in your closets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness.
--Alma 34:26

When I am in my closet, I have removed myself from the distractions of the world. Closets are not always physical, and they don't always have walls and doors. Nevertheless, in my proverbial closet, I can be alone, quiet, focused, undisturbed, and unobstructed. I can say what is in my heart without anyone judging or criticizing. Though I may be physically restricted and restrained in my little closet, my soul and heart can be free to commune with my God.

Nothing Too Small

The two missionaries, Alma and Amulek, first taught the apostate Zoramites about Christ, and then they turned their attention to the people's perverted method of prayer. Rather than repeat a rote and mean-spirited public prayer once a week, they taught the Zoramites to pray sincerely and often. Speaking of the topics appropriate for a sincere prayer, Amulek taught:

Cry unto him in your houses, yea, over all your household, both morning, mid-day, and evening. Yea, cry unto him against the power of your enemies. Yea, cry unto him against the devil, who is an enemy to all righteousness. Cry unto him over the crops of your fields, that ye may prosper in them. Cry over the flocks of your fields, that they may increase.
--Alma 34:21-25

Amulek's great discourse on prayer teaches that there is nothing too small, temporal, or mundane that we cannot pray about it and seek the Lord's blessing. When I think I have a problem too small to bother God about, I think of these verses. He is willing to help me in every aspect of my life. 

Does God want me to be hopelessly dependent? Ultimately, no. In the interim, however, while I am mired in mortality, Christ pleads with me to come unto Him, lean on Him, share His yoke, drink of His living water, let His light guide my feet, follow His example, learn of Him, and listen to His words. I am, in truth, in this life, hopelessly dependent on Christ. I can admit my true condition and take Him as my partner, or I can deny it and struggle through life alone. My mortal struggles don't change, but whether I face them alone or not is entirely up to me. 

Call for Mercy

Two great missionaries, Alma and Amulek, answered the call from God to preach repentance to an apostate group called the Zoramites. The first thing these two men observed was a form of false worship in which one person at a time stood on a tall stand so they could be seen by their fellows and shouted a memorized prayer, every worshipper saying the same words. The two missionaries wanted to correct this faulty prayer practice, and so they taught the Zoramites a mighty sermon on true prayer, ending with these words:

Therefore may God grant unto you, my brethren, that ye may begin to exercise your faith unto repentance, that ye begin to call upon his holy name, that he would have mercy upon you.
--Alma 34:17

I may pray in many situations, at many different times, to offer up thanks for many blessings and to put forth many petitions. The most important prayer I can offer, however, is my personal, private prayer for mercy. If I could secure God's mercy, all else would take care of itself. Everything I need flows from God's mercy and grace.

Formula for Spiritual Growth

Behold a formula for spiritual growth through prayer:

But that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering; Having faith on the Lord; having a hope that ye shall receive eternal life; having the love of God always in your hearts, that ye may be lifted up at the last day and enter into his rest.
--Alma 13:28-29

I see the following elements in this formula that apply to my life:

1. Humble myself. I must not wait to be compelled to be humble. I can choose to be humble. I can look for ways I am proud, resistant, and unteachable, and take positive steps voluntarily to surrender my pride and my weapons of rebellion.
2. Call upon God. This is more than trite prayer or a mindless postscript to an exhausting day. It is reaching deep into my soul to see what I am really made of and then offering it unto the Lord. It is acting as if I were coming into His presence.
3. Watch and pray continually. I must pay attention rather than drift mindlessly through the day on spiritual autopilot. Be thoughtful and deliberate in my actions, always guided by the Spirit, which shows me the Lord's will. And do things prayerfully. Undertake no task save in the first place I ask God to direct me and consecrate my actions for the benefit of my soul as well as the benefit of others. Just as calling upon God is a different level of prayer, praying continually is a different flow of prayer. There is no amen to a continuous prayer.
4. Let the Holy Spirit guide, which implies that I first ask for direction, then listen for it, note it when it comes, and obey it. Again, it is the surrendering of my will to God's and doing things His way.
5. Seek the following gifts of the Spirit: humility (teachable, open to direction, able to see and admit weakness, ready to accept help), meekness (accept others as they are and let them be right), submissiveness (give up my stubborn pride so I can follow the direction of the Spirit), patience (operate on God's timetable instead of insisting on my own), full of love and all long-suffering (care more about others than myself, bear with others' imperfections because I know they must bear with mine, see others through God's eyes).
6. Have faith on the Lord rather than in myself, knowing that I cannot save myself but am totally dependent on Christ as my Redeemer.
7. Have hope, which motivates me to continue in the face of constant and inevitable failure because I believe that in the end Christ will erase all sins, heal all wounds, and right all wrongs.
8. Have the love of God always in my heart. Be filled with charity, which is a gift from God for which I must pray diligently and with all my heart as if I were pleading for my very life—which, in fact, is exactly what I am doing.

Perhaps

Many years after the prophet Alma received a threatening message from an angel and turned his life around, the Lord sent him on a mission to call the Nephites to repentance. As he preached from city to city, he bore his witness of God's reality and of God's desire for the people to repent and turn to Him. Interestingly, he did not speak of his supernatural encounter with an angel as the basis for his faith and testimony. Instead, he spoke of the following conversion process:

Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God. Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me.
--Alma 5:46

It was not a visit from a heavenly messenger that converted Alma. The angel got Alma's attention, but it was fasting and prayer that brought the change of heart into Alma's life. While the angelic visitation was dramatic, Alma's conversion required diligence and patience. Alma had to wait on the Lord.

Why does God sometimes delay His response to my prayers? Perhaps He is giving me time to prepare for the answer. Perhaps I need the time to hone and refine my request. Perhaps I haven't done all I can on my own yet to truly distinguish between my power and God's power. Perhaps I am not ready to appreciate the answer when it comes. Perhaps I have taken no thought about what I want except to ask. Perhaps the development of patience and endurance are more valuable blessings than the thing I ask for. 

Nevertheless, once I am prepared, specific, and humble, having expended my own best efforts, and learned patience, the answer comes. It may not be what I initially thought I wanted, but it is always what I truly need.

Prayer Unlocks Power

When the prophet Alma in the Book of Mormon began seeing waywardness and wickedness in his son, he turned to prayer to engage God in the struggle for his son's soul. In response to the faith-filled prayers of Alma and the people of the church, the Lord sent an angel to halt Alma Junior on the path to destruction. The young man recorded the words of the heavenly messenger thus:

And again, the angel said: Behold, the Lord hath heard the prayers of his people, and also the prayers of his servant, Alma, who is thy father; for he has prayed with much faith concerning thee that thou mightest be brought to the knowledge of the truth; therefore, for this purpose have I come to convince thee of the power and authority of God, that the prayers of his servants might be answered according to their faith.
--Mosiah 27:14

Prayers on behalf of others work. They unlock the power of God. They don't necessarily change God's will, but they have an impact. 

Things happen with prayer that might not happen or might happen differently without prayer. I do not understand completely how it works or why it works, but I am convinced by many evidences that prayer for others does indeed work.

Honest Prayer of the Heart

When a young man by the name of Alma rebelled against wicked King Noah, he gathered many followers to whom he preached the true gospel. Eventually this band of faithful believers had to flee from the unrighteous kingdom. After settling in a secluded valley where they could worship God unhindered, Alma's people were discovered and surrounded by the Lamanites. Alma's people were enslaved, and along with losing their liberty, they were forbidden to worship God. Anyone caught praying to God would be executed on the spot. 

The scripture records how the people responded to their oppression:

And Alma and his people did not raise their voices to the Lord their God, but did pour out their hearts to him; and he did know the thoughts of their hearts.
--Mosiah 24:12

The Lord heard these silent prayers and answered them initially with comfort and strength to endure. Eventually, God rescued these people and led them to a place of safety.

The thoughts of my heart are more than my superficial musings. They are what move and motivate me. They are who I am when no one is looking. They are the essence of my character. To pour out the thoughts or contents of my heart is to be completely honest and transparent. No posturing or pretending. An honest heart is a broken heart. 

Honesty in prayer is essential. God knows when I am honest and authentic. I don't have to sugar coat it for Him. If I am angry, He can take it. If I am depressed, He comforts me. If I am happy, He rejoices with me and sweetens my joy. He simply wants to be a part of whatever I am doing and however I am feeling. If I invite Him in, He can enrich every moment. And in the end, He will save me and lead me to a place of safety, even into His loving embrace.

Mighty Prayer

One of my great prayer heroes is the prophet Enos in the Book of Mormon. Enos was a good man raised by a good father. As he grew up in a righteous home, Enos surely said his daily prayers, read the scriptures, and attended worship services. Yet, he felt he was missing something in his life. He wanted to be more than an "active" believer, he wanted to be truly converted. And so, he turned to prayer. But not the simple, standard, run-of-the-mill prayer he was used to.

And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens.
--Enos 1:4

God heard Enos's mighty prayer and answered it in a direct and inspiring way.

Mighty prayer is powerful prayer. Mighty prayer taps into the power of God to change me in profound ways—ways that I could never accomplish on my own under my own power. 

In mighty prayer, I turn myself, my problems, my weaknesses and my failures over to God. I reach up to put my puny hand in His mighty hand. I stop trying to do it myself, run my own life, achieve my own goals. I admit that I are powerless to accomplish the impossible things God expects of me. 

In mighty prayer I hold nothing back, make no excuses, blame no one but myself. If I can put everything on the altar, including and especially the natural man with all his pride and selfishness and stubbornness and rebellion, and beg and beseech God in genuine sincerity to take it all away and do with me what He will, I am offering a mighty prayer. 

I do not just whip out a mighty prayer in five minutes before I fall asleep at the end of the day or in a brief, rote recital of repetitious 'thanks' and 'pleases' before I rush out the door in the morning. Though God wants to hear from me daily and is pleased with my efforts to communicate with Him, He yearns for mighty prayer to open the door to His real power. 

He is a mighty God who wants to use His might in my behalf. Mighty prayer is the key to unlock God's power in my life. If I want to change, mighty prayer is the mechanism to engage the power I need. God will change me if I cry to Him in mighty prayer.

God Hears

The prophet Nephi foresaw the destruction that awaited his people. The picture was bleak indeed. In many ways, what Nephi saw in his people's future parallels the challenges we will face in the "last days." Nevertheless, Nephi offered a ray of hope to the faithful followers of Christ, even amidst the trials to come:

After my seed and the seed of my brethren shall have dwindled in unbelief, and shall have been smitten by the Gentiles; yea, after the Lord God shall have camped against them round about, and shall have laid siege against them with a mount, and raised forts against them; and after they shall have been brought down low in the dust, even that they are not, yet the words of the righteous shall be written, and the prayers of the faithful shall be heard, and all those who have dwindled in unbelief shall not be forgotten.

--2 Nephi 26:15

Despite everything that may seem to go wrong in my life, and though I feel abandoned and alone, if I stay faithful, my prayers shall be heard. My Father never ignores me. Although He might seem unreachable in the midst of my toughest trials, I remind myself that during a test in school, the teacher remains silent. But that doesn't mean the teacher is unaware of me or of the challenges of the test. God helps in times of trouble. Of that I am sure, of that I testify.

Have You Inquired of the Lord?

The prophet Lehi had received a marvelous vision about God's plan of salvation for the human family. He described his vision to his sons, Nephi believed his father, but Lehi's other son's, Laman, Lemuel, and Sam, struggled to understand. While Nephi went off and prayed about what he had heard, his brothers argued and bickered over the possible meanings of the vision. Nephi received his own revelation from God to enlighten him, but the others were stuck in their intellectual reasoning.

Nephi found his brothers bitterly disputing with each other. He asked them, "Have you inquired of the Lord?" Their answer was, "No, God doesn't talk to us. He won't respond to our questions." Nephi then taught his brothers a truth about prayer that he had learned for himself:

Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath said?—If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you.
--1 Nephi 15:11

In his response to his brothers' quandary, Nephi provides us with a formula for receiving revelation as an answer to prayer. 

The first step is to not harden our hearts. A hard heart is one that denies the possibility that God will hear and answer. Such a heart denies the need for God. It's closed in on itself, becoming impenetrable and unyielding. A hard heart is a willful decision to reject God and His spirit. It is the stony ground on which any seed of truth withers and dies before it has a chance to take root. To get an answer to our prayers, our hearts must be soft, pliable, open, accepting, willing to take what comes and consider the possibility that God has something to offer. We prepare our hearts through diligent searching of the word of God and nurturing the seeds that land within us. When we choose God, He cultivates our hearts and prepares them to be expanded. 

The second step is to ask. Asking is a commandment. We must ask to put ourselves in a position to receive consciously and with thanksgiving. Learning what to ask attunes us to the revelatory process. We learn what God wants to give us, and we know what to expect so we recognize the answer when it comes. The asking is not for God, who already knows our needs; it is for us to identify our true needs as God sees them in His infinite wisdom and goodness. Asking shows our willingness to receive and exercises our agency in alignment with God's will. If we don't ask, we won't receive. 

The third step is to exercise faith. Faith is to act on an unseen outcome. It is moving forward even when the path is not clear with the assumption that clarity will come when we need it. It is confidence and trust in an answer that has not yet been granted but will surely come. It propels us into the unknown with the assurance that it will be knowable at the right time. Faith is trusting in the goodness of God and the wisdom of His timing. 

The fourth step is believing that God will deliver on His promises. Believing is patient waiting. It is not wishing. It is hopeful expectation, an extension of our faith. We sincerely and honestly anticipate the answer we asked for. Believing enables us to wait without despair, to watch diligently, to be ever ready. 

The final step is to diligently keep the commandments. When we obey what we already know, we show our readiness to receive and obey more. We keep ourselves attuned to the Holy Spirit. Our receiver is dialed in and ready to accept the answers when they come. We align ourselves with God's will and make room in our hearts to receive more of His will and wisdom. Thus, the answer we receive will be a step in the direction we are already headed rather than an abrupt about face. 




 




When we follow Nephi's formula, the promised blessings of knowledge and revelation will come just as surely as combining hydrogen with oxygen produces water.

Sweet Incense of Prayer

In the Apostle John's highly symbolic Revelation, he received a series of visions. He recorded one of the visions as follows:

And when he [an angel] had taken the book [from the Lamb of God], the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
--Revelation 5:8

A central feature of the original temple worship of the ancient Hebrews was the altar of incense on which sweet-smelling sage, wood, and oils were burned. The rising smoke represented the prayers of the people ascending to heaven (see Exodus 30:1).

My prayer should be like the smoke of incense, constantly and gently rising up unto God. When it burns within me, it lifts me and permeates the very atmosphere around me. My prayers can mingle with the incense of others until it becomes a beautiful cloud of gratitude and yearning, of hope and peace. It is the very air of God's kingdom. If I want to know what it feels like to live in the presence of God, I should surround myself with prayer.

Getting On the Right Track

The Apostle John wrote:

And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
--1 John 5: 14-15

The key to getting answers to prayer is to ask according to God's will. In other words, if I learn to ask for that which He already plans to give me, the answer is a slam dunk. I can't miss. When I know of a surety that I have asked correctly, I can have complete confidence I will receive what I asked for. 

So, if I want answers to my prayers, I must learn to listen to the Holy Spirit, who reveals to me the mind and will of God, and then I have to go with it. When I stop fighting with God about what I want and submit to Him for what He wants, everything goes a lot smoother. 

God is going to get His way sooner or later anyway. I might as well sign up for the program right up front and get on the right track early.

Obedience Affects the Outcome of Prayer

In the Apostle John's first general letter to the church in his day, he bore his eyewitness testimony of the resurrected Christ. Then he counseled the saints in the proper Christian life. Among his injunctions are these words:

And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
--1John 3:22

How I live—my obedience and faithfulness—affect the outcome of my prayers. It's just that simple. If I want answers, I must live for them and qualify for them. I do not earn them, for no one is really worthy. Answers to prayer, like the Atonement itself, are gifts of grace and mercy. But like I must qualify for the grace of the Atonement, I must qualify for the gift of answers to prayer. God is good, but He is not stupid; generous, but not foolish. He gives to those who will recognize and appreciate His gifts. The proof of my desire is in the asking, but the proof of my appreciation is in the living and keeping the commandments.

Prayerfully Watch

The members of the ancient church thought Christ's Second Coming was imminent. The apostle Peter taught them how to be prepared:

But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
--Peter 1:4

Prayer is part of our watching and preparation for the Second Coming. Prayer attunes us to the Holy Spirit, through whom warnings and revelations will come. The Spirit inspires us what to pray for, and at the appropriate time He will direct us to pray for what we need to be prepared to meet the Lord. Whether we meet Him coming or going, on this side of the veil or the other, we need to be prepared.

Inclined to Listen

The Apostle Peter gave encouraging counsel to the faithful members of the primitive church and a stern warning to those who refused to repent:

For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
--1 Peter 3:12

My obedience and faithfulness obviously affect my relationship with God. Not that He loves me less when I am disobedient, but why should He speak to me when I am not inclined to listen? 

His face is against evildoers because their faces are against Him. They turn their backs and so He turns His back. The moment, however, that I turn toward the Lord, He instantly turns back toward me. The love of God is an amazing gift!

Nurture Mortal Relationships to Nurture the Relationship with God

The apostle Peter wrote an open letter to the converts of Christ outside of the nation of Israel, many of whom had been gentiles. He offered counsel and teaching to these newly baptized members of Christ's church. Among his admonitions is this gem about the marriage relationship and its effect on prayer:

Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
--1 Peter 3:7

The quality and efficacy of my prayers are affected by my mortal relationships, and especially the relationship with my wife. If I am at odds with others, angry, resentful, or begrudging, the Holy Spirit cannot dwell with me, and without the aid of the Spirit, my prayers fall flat. My best prayers are inspired, and when they lack inspiration, they become vain repetition. I must therefore carefully nurture my relationships with those around me, and especially my family, if I can have any hope of nurturing a relationship with God.

Effectual Fervent Prayer

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
--James 5:16

Another interpretation of this saying is, "The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." In other words, prayer works. God hears all prayers, but the prayers of a righteous person who keeps the commandments and is in tune with the Holy Spirit get more attention because they are already in harmony with the Lord's will. They are easy for God to answer.

I do not claim to be a righteous person, or that my prayers are always fervent or effective, but I try to pray regularly for others, and I like to think that others are praying for me. I need the prayers of others to bolster my own pathetic prayers. Most importantly, I rely on the prayers of Jesus on my behalf:

"I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them." (John 17:9-10)

"Listen to him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him— Saying: Father, behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou wast well pleased; behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of him whom thou gavest that thyself might be glorified; Wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren that believe on my name, that they may come unto me and have everlasting life." (D&C 45:3-5)

The only truly righteous person to have lived on the earth is Jesus, and surely His prayers are effectually fervent. Though I fail in many ways every day, I have hope because Jesus is praying for me.

Prayer of Faith

In his general letter to the primitive church, the apostle James admonished the saints to exercise "the prayer of faith" in praying for ill family members and friends. 

And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
--James 5:15

The prayer of faith is prayer motivated by faith. We pray with faith that God hears, and then we act on our prayer and on our faith as instruments of the Lord.  In other words, the prayer of faith is a prayer followed by works of faith as we are directed by the Spirit. 

Unanswered Prayers

In the Apostle James's open letter to the saints in the primitive Church of his day, he reminded them (and us) why our prayers sometimes go unanswered. 

Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
--James 4:3

To ask amiss is to ask for the wrong things. God will not give us things He knows are harmful for us. If a child asks for a bottle of whisky, a wise parent will refuse to give it because of the harm it can do, despite the child's protestations that he thinks it would be fun to get drunk. "No" can be a loving, merciful answer.

In other places we are told to let the Holy Ghost guide our prayers. Without the Spirit's guidance, we may very well pray for things not in harmony with God's will. 

I am grateful the Lord is kind enough to ignore my misguided and self-centered prayers. I am reminded of Garth Brooks's lyric, "thank God for unanswered prayers."

Nothing Wavering

The Apostle James wrote an open letter to the ancient Church in his day with counsel for the saints. Those in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are very familiar with verses 4-5 because they triggered young Joseph Smith to inquire of the Lord and receive the visitation from the Father and the Son that inaugurated the Restoration. We do not as often read verse 6, which contains an important element of effective prayer: 

But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.
--James 1:6

I may doubt what I know, but I ought not doubt that I can get an answer. I must be firm and unwavering in my desire to receive knowledge. The Lord may pause in His answer to let me feel the need more keenly, so that I may prize the answer more fully when it comes, but He will always answer a sincere request. 

Faith is a belief in things unseen and unknown. I demonstrate my faith when I persist despite the void of evidence that I have been heard. Faith grows as I carry on in what I believe is right even when my efforts seem futile. 

God's primary goal is to increase my faith. In His wisdom and love, that may mean that He must delay His response. "Faith worketh patience," which is a critical virtue. In patience I will find my answers.

Where and Who I Am

The Apostle Paul taught his young apprentice, Timothy: 

I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.
--1 Timothy 2:8

The message is simple—people everywhere should pray. My circumstances and surroundings have no bearing on whether or not I can pray and be heard. My inner circumstances, however, have everything to do with the effectiveness of my prayers. My hands should be holy, meaning my actions should be pleasing to God and in line with His will and doing His work. I should be at peace with those around me, not quarreling and disputing and bickering. The Holy Spirit cannot work on a heart that is full of anger or bitterness. So, where I am when I pray is not the issue, but rather who I am and how I am when we pray.

No Stopping

In Paul's letter to the saints in Thessalonica, the apostle listed in concise terms the way followers of Christ should live. Within his list is found this simple instruction. 

Pray without ceasing.
-- Thessalonians 5:17

It is a mystery to me how one can pray without ceasing, 24x7, and go about normal life. I am a single-minded individual with a one-track mind. Multi-tasking is not an option for me. I can do multi-switching, jumping from one track to another, but I am never on more than one track at a time. Switching, for me, is an inefficient process. I find myself expending more effort changing tracks and picking up the thread where I left off than I do getting the task done on either of the tracks.

I can pray in the gaps, however. Every day includes moments that are not occupied, minutes where I am not engaged in any particular task. Rather than wander in daydreams or look for some nonsense to occupy my thoughts, I can turn my neutral thoughts to prayer. 

For me, praying without ceasing means not giving up on prayer. Answers do not always come the way I want and in the time I want. Nevertheless, I must not stop praying.

The Work of Prayer

In closing his letter to the saints in Colosse, Paul mentioned one of his missionary companions from that city: 

Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
--Colossians 4:12

Prayer done right is work. Effectual prayer entails effort, albeit spiritual effort, but effort none the less. The Book of Mormon prophet Enos "wrestled" before the Lord in his mighty prayer (Enos 1:2) When I read the words that Ether prayed as he asked for help in lighting the barges he had built to cross the ocean to the promised land, I hear him struggle with great effort to beseech God for a blessing. When Jesus knelt with the Nephites to pray with them, He "groaned within himself" as He began his prayer, indicating the tremendous effort He exerted as He prayed for His people.

God approves of work, and He Himself also works. He rested on the seventh day from the work of creation (see Genesis 2:2). Isaiah prophesied God would do a "marvelous work and a wonder" (see Isaiah 29:14), which work and wonder we see today in the Book of Mormon, the restoration of the true Church of Christ, and the gathering of Israel. God works in us and through us (see Ephesians 3:2, Philippians 2:13, Colossians 1:29). He works constantly, and He expects me to work as well.  

Prayer is a good work, but it is nevertheless work.

Open the Door to Closeness

The Apostle Paul counseled the saints in Colosse:

And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
--Colossians 3:17

Gratitude is a key element of prayer. It is not just common courtesy. It opens my eyes to all I have already received, reminding me of all God has already done for me, strengthening my faith and increasing my patience. 

The instruction in this verse is to give thanks by Christ, meaning giving thanks from His perspective. In other words, what would Jesus be thankful for in my situation? I learn to see things the way the Savior sees them, which draws me closer to my Father in heaven and to my Savior. 

One of the most important results of prayer is to draw closer to God, and gratitude is the door I open to gain that closeness.

Unlocking the Windows of Heaven

As the Apostle Paul wrapped up his letter to the saints in Philippi, he counseled them:

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
--Philippians 4:6

In the popular parlance of today, he might have said, "Let go and let God. Do not be anxious about anything. Just let God know what you need and trust Him to take care of you in His way and in His time. And be thankful in all things. Be grateful for what you have and what you get, always trusting the Lord to give you His best."

According to Paul's instructions, I am to let God know of my requests. In other words, Heavenly Father expects me to ask Him for things. So, what should my prayer requests to the Supreme Being be about? 

Nephi testified, "I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if I ask not amiss" (2 Nephi 4:35). How do I avoid asking "amiss?" Amiss means to be wrong, in appropriate, not quite right. So, how do I ensure that my requests are correct and appropriate so God will give liberally to me?

The answer is personal revelation. When I take the time during prayer to focus my mind and listen to the promptings of the Holy Ghost, God will lay upon my heart the very things for which I should ask. He will tell me exactly what He wants to give me. He will not, however, force His blessings upon me. He waits for me to exercise my agency and request the favors He has prepared for me. When I ask, I turn the key to unlock the windows of heaven through which God can pour out magnificent blessings (see Malachi 3:10). 

What God Wants Me to Pray

Christians of the ancient church in Corinth enjoyed the gifts of the Spirit, and in particular, they coveted the gift of speaking in tongues as a sign of spiritual enlightenment. The Apostle Paul wrote to them, however, that spiritual gifts have a purpose, and that purpose is to increase understanding. He cautioned that speaking in tongues was of no value unless someone was present who could also interpret the words spoken. In other words, the delivery of a spiritual message is of no value if the receivers do not understand the message.

Then he said this about prayer: 

What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.
--1 Corinthians 14:15 

The specific intent of this verse in its context was to instruct the saints to not rely on praying, singing and speaking in tongues if no one can interpret. Public prayer, song, and speech are for the edifying of all, not just the speaker. 

Another fundamental principle, however, is highlighted in this verse. Regardless of the language I use, I should pray by the Spirit, meaning by inspiration from the Holy Ghost, both in private and in public. I ought not to just rattle off a familiar set of words, which is the definition of vain repetition. 

An effective, meaningful prayer is guided by the Holy Spirit. I am fascinated by the notion that Heavenly Father will dictate to me the very prayer He wants me to send back to Him. It reminds me of teaching my children to pray when they were first learning to talk. I would whisper phrases in their little ears that they would then repeat aloud as their prayer. Eventually they learned to say those things on their own. 

I now pray each evening with my grandson. At twelve years of age, he needs to move beyond the memorized phrases of his childhood, so before we pray, we talk about what topics should be included in our prayer. We make a list of things we are grateful for specifically in that day and the things for which we should ask for the coming day. Properly prepared with meaningful thoughts, one or the other of us give voice to our gratitude and petitions in prayer.

Praying by the Holy Spirit is a little like that. If I pause before starting my personal prayer and give the Spirit a chance, He reminds me of the blessings I have received and brings to my attention the things I may need. He can remind me of my many weaknesses, mistakes for which I should repent, and help for which I should plead. Investing a few moments in preparation pays marvelous dividends in meaningful prayer. 

The purpose of prayer is not to change God but to change me, and nothing penetrates and changes my heart more powerfully than the Holy Ghost. So, if I want to pray a prayer acceptable to God, I should listen to the Holy Ghost to find out what God wants me to pray about.

Persistently Consistent

The Apostle Paul exhorted the faithful followers of Christ in these words:  

Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
--Romans 12:12

The phrase "continuing instant in prayer" means to be constantly persistent in our prayers. A prayer binge followed by silent indifference or prolonged distraction is a formula for failure with God. Sometimes our trials persist so that our prayers persist. Persistent prayers lead to persistent hope, which produces persistent joy. 

When I pray persistently and consistently, I can rejoice in hope and patiently endure tribulations. The three are related and dependent. Tribulation teaches practical patience, and prayer adds to my patience. I pray for the gift of patience, not only in my trials but in all good things. The answer to my prayers is hope, and once I have hope, I can rejoice, even in tribulations. 

Persistence is not the same as vain repetition. Vain repetition comes from thoughtlessly reciting words that may have had meaning once but are now hollow. We may have felt good about a particular prayer the first time, so we repeat it over and over again hoping it will make us feel good again. It is not prayer to God but a therapeutic exercise directed at ourselves. 

Persistent prayer may be repetitive, but it is filled with faith, hope, and expectation. It is an expression of my trust and patience in a God who knows best and whose timing is best from an eternal perspective, especially when my mortal perspective is temporally myopic. I constantly let God know I wait in faith and trust in His divine wisdom. Trials come and go, and in their wake they leave enlivened hope, increased joy, solid patience, and ever blossoming prayer.

Secret Sauce of Effectual Prayer

A brother in Elder's Quorum meeting lamented that he doesn't know how to pray very well because so many of his prayers go unanswered. He felt that he was missing the secret sauce of successful prayer, that he was somehow missing an element of faith or obedience that would unlock the mystery of communicating effectively with God. I think perhaps the members of Christ's ancient church in Rome may have had similar feelings, for Paul wrote to them with the following counsel:

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
--Romans 8:26

The Holy Ghost teaches us what we should pray for. The Lord, after all, knows what we need before we ask. The purpose of prayer is not to make God align with us but to align us with Him. So, seeking instruction from the Holy Spirit about our prayers only makes sense.

If there is secret sauce to effectual prayer, it is this principle of revelation through the Holy Ghost. Getting answers from God is not like learning to be the wizard's apprentice. The wizard's apprentice could never get the magic spells to work right because he inevitably failed to follow the wizard's instructions to the letter. The apprentice always left out some obscure, seemingly insignificant step, and then the spell would go all wrong. 

While we may be apprentices in the practice of prayer, Heavenly Father is not a cross and vengeful wizard. He is our loving Father. Getting answers is not about doing everything just right or asking just the right question in just the right way. God is not tricky. He is not hard to find and follow. He doesn't smirk or grimace when we fumble. He hears even the most rudimentary and inarticulate prayers.

He does not wait for us to stumble onto the magic incantation of the perfect prayer formula. He simply wants us to reach out to Him, no matter how imperfect our prayer, our approach, and our lives may be. 

If we want the secret sauce of prayer, we should seek to know God's will -- what He wants for us and His timing. If we learn to pray for what He wants when He wants it, our prayers will be answered every time.

Jesus Prays for Me

On the night of Jesus's betrayal, after concluding the Last Supper, knowing He would shortly be separated from His disciples, Jesus offered the Intercessory Prayer in which He prayed for His friends. Among the petitions He presented to His Father were these words:

I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
--John 17:9

I want Jesus to pray for me. Therefore, I must come out of the world. He does not pray for those who embrace the world, but only for those who embrace Him. I have made the covenants and entered the ordinances that make me His child. I have taken His name upon me. While I fail constantly to live up to my covenants, I am headed in the right direction. 

I am less of the world today than fifty years ago, forty years ago, or even ten years ago. As imperfect and weak as I am, I am giving myself to my Savior. And so, I believe He is praying for me. His prayers are so much better than mine. Surely the Father hears and answers the prayers of His Beloved Son. For this and many more reasons, my hope is in Christ.

An Air-Tight Contract, But Don't Miss the Fine Print

As Jesus approached the end of His mortal ministry, He wanted to strengthen the Apostles for the difficult times ahead of them. Among His comforting words are these promises about prayer: 

And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. 
--John 14:13-14

This is a bold promise of the power of prayer. Ask anything--ANYTHING--in the named of Jesus, and He will do it. And why will He do it? To glorify the Father, to shine the spotlight on God, to show us the limitless power of the Creator and Ruler of the universe. No one but a lunatic or the true Son of God would make such a claim. He offers us the opportunity to put Him to the test, try Him out, see what

happens. Either His word is good, or He is a fraud. So why not try Him? What is there to lose? And if He makes good on His promise, what is there to gain! 

Ah, but there is a qualification, a little piece of fine print that appears in the next chapter. 

If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
--John 15:7

Jesus restates His promise, but with an introductory proviso, namely, that we must abide in Him and allow His word to abide in us. In other words, we have to do our best to be obedient, follow Him, and live like He lives. We must not only study His word but internalize it and live it. Then, and only then, is His promise sure and the contract air tight.