Vocal Prayer: Singing with the Music

In 1838, Joseph Smith wrote in his own words a description of the events that led to what has become known as his "First Vision". In this vision, Joseph saw and spoke with God the Father and His Beloved Son Jesus Christ. It was the opening of a new dispensation of the Gospel of Christ and eventually led to the establishment of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

The Prophet Joseph's miraculous experience began with a question and a prayer. His question was: Which church should I join? After attending several churches and listening to the preachers contradict each other, he decided his only course was to pray and ask God. He wrote:

So, in accordance with this, my determination to ask of God, I retired to the woods to make the attempt. It was on the morning of a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty. It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally.
--Joseph Smith - History 1:14

The inference in this statement is that Joseph had prayed silently, perhaps many times, for an answer to his question about religion, but this was his first audible, vocal prayer. He does not say why he had not used vocal prayer before, not does he explain why he decided to speak out loud this time. What we know, however, is that the results were different for his vocal prayer than for his previous silent prayers. 

From the narrative, we can assume that the urgency and sincerity of this latest prayer was intensified. Perhaps Joseph had heard ministers and others offer powerful vocal prayers in the various congregational meeting he had attended. Or perhaps the power of the emotions in his heart simply could not be contained but could find full expression only in his audible voice.

I have wanted answers desperately enough to cry aloud to the heavens and raise my voice to break the silence around me. God does not need to hear my voice. He knows my every thought and hears every silent prayer. But sometimes I may need to hear my own voice. While I can hear songs in my head and play the music in my ears, sometimes there is no substitute for singing along. 

In the Name of the Son Forevermore

After Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit and were driven out of the Garden of Eden, God taught them to offer sacrifices as a religious ritual. Determined to be obedient, Adam built an altar of stone and offered sacrificial animals upon it on a regular basis for "many days." 

An angel eventually appeared to Adam and Eve and asked them if they understood the significance of this ritual. "Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord?" Surely, Adam and Eve must have asked themselves that same question many times. To the angel's question, Adam's answer is a perfect example of submissive obedience. "I know not, save the Lord commanded me" (see Moses 5:6).

Satisfied that Adam and Eve would be obedient no matter the logical reason, the angel explained the significance of the blood sacrifice. It represented the sacrifice that would be made by the Only Begotten Son of God to atone for the sins of the world.

Because of the Atonement of the Son of God, the conduit to the Father was opened, with Christ as the Advocate and Mediator. The angel then delivered this commandment to Adam and Eve: 

Wherefore, thou shalt do all that thou doest in the name of the Son, and thou shalt repent and call upon God in the name of the Son forevermore.
--Moses 5:8

All I do, including prayer, should be in the name of Christ, meaning I do it as He would do it, under His direction, and to honor Him and glorify Him. I shine a light on Christ's goodness when I do something good. I honor, acknowledge, and glorify Christ's perfect relationship with the Father when I exercise my own relationship with the Father in Christ's name. 

I rely on Jesus's atonement and grace when I approach the Father in Jesus's name. He washes me, clothes me in spotless apparel, and accompanies me to the Father's throne when I pray in His name. He advocates my cause, takes my imperfect prayer, polishes it, and represents it perfectly to the Father. 

God hears every prayer, but when I include Christ as my Advocate, Counselor, Champion, and Tutor, my prayers can become powerful indeed. 

Jesus testified during His earthly ministry that the Father heard Him (see John 12:41-42). When I pray in His name, I tap into His power and claim the same privilege to always be heard. 

It is the height of arrogance to do good and to approach the Father in my own name, for I am never good enough or worthy enough on my own to fully satisfy Him. However, when I do my best and come to the Father totality dependent on Jesus in the depths of humility, Jesus satisfies the Father for me, and I please Him. 

Jesus makes it possible for me to have a relationship with the Father. To cut Him out of the equation is to seriously diminish my opportunity for grace and divine approbation. 

A Pattern for Acceptable Prayer

At a conference of the Church of Jesus Christ in June of 1831, Joseph Smith inquired of the Lord to know what missions the elders of the Church should perform following the conference. He received instructions for a number of men to preach the gospel.

But then the Lord gave instructions about a "pattern" by which the elders could avoid being deceived in spiritual matters. Part of the pattern included this statement about prayer:

Wherefore he that prayeth, whose spirit is contrite, the same is accepted of me if he obey mine ordinances.
--Doctrine and Covenants 52:15

To be contrite is to feel exceedingly sorry for having committed a sin. So, to possess a contrite spirit is to recognize my failures to live up to God's standards and to experience sincere sorrow for disappointing Him. I must know I have done wrong and I truly wish to do better.  

"Spirit" in this context means my character and disposition. A contrite spirit, therefore, is a deep seated characteristic of ongoing sorrow for ongoing sin. I recognize my imperfections and the distance they create between me and my perfect God, and I am sorry I cannot live up to His standard of perfection. I genuinely desire to be better, and I strive for improvement, even in the face of inevitable failure. 

Though I know I won't achieve perfection in this life, Christ gives me hope that I can at least improve. He washes away my repented sins so that my improvements are not smothered by the weight of my past failures. 

It is in this spirit, then, of contrition and hope that I pray. And this kind of prayer is acceptable to God.

No Greater Witness

Moroni, son of Mormon, has received the compiled history of the Nephite people from his deceased father. Alone and hunted by the enemy that has wiped out the entire Nephite nation, Moroni spends precious time to record a final message to the future readers of the book he is charged to protect. In the remaining space on the gold plates, before he bears his final testimony of Jesus Christ, Moroni engraves these words:

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

If Joseph Smith, the translator of the Book of Mormon, was a fraud, this promise of a witness from God would be the most audacious, outlandish, bold-faced lie ever perpetrated on the public. Joseph was either a lunatic or a prophet. 

The author of these words lays it all on the line. He invites us not to take his word for it nor to rely on the words of any other human. He says we should go to God and put it in His hands. He was confident of the outcome. 

Millions have put this promise to the test and have found it to be true. I have tested the Book of Mormon, and in answer to my sincere prayers, God has told me it is true. What greater witness do I need than from God?

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.