The Role of the Holy Ghost in Prayer

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was not yet a year old when Joseph Smith sought revelation about how church services were to be conducted. He also wanted to know concerning the use of spiritual gifts in worship services, which were mentioned in the Bible and were prevalent among some denomination is his own day. Among the revealed responses from the Lord are these words about praying by the Spirit:

He that asketh in the Spirit asketh according to the will of God; wherefore it is done even as he asketh.
--Doctrine and Covenants 46:30

The Holy Ghost can reveal to me the mind and will of God. If I align my petitions with His will, answers will come readily. 

Herein, however, lies the hard work. Receiving revelation through the Holy Ghost is not as simple as flipping the light switch. It requires preparation through righteous living, constant repentance, humility, sincerity, faith, and practice. 

And where do these attributes come from? Prayer! It is a cycle through which I grow and rise. It is sometimes one step forward and two steps back. It is like a toddler learning to walk. I seem at first to spend more time on my face than on my feet. The steadying Hand that stands me up keeps letting go, and I teeter and stumble, and I whine and cry, and eventually the helping Hand lifts me again, and I hopefully take a few more steps. 

The sad part is that it has taken me my whole life to realize I still don't know how to walk. I'm still a toddler sitting in my wet diaper on a slippery floor, thrashing about ineffectively to get a foothold to hoist myself up. I want to do it by myself instead of reaching up for the Hand ready to lift me. Maybe with enough bumps and bruises, I'll figure it out.