A Better Way to Pray

President Eyring spoke in the most recent priesthood session of general conference about how we can better magnify our service in the Lord’s kingdom. To help us see how we could refine our focus he told a story of what happened to him as a deacon when he moved to a large ward in Utah. He recounted, “In my first sacrament meeting there, I observed the deacons—an army, it seemed to me—moving with precision as they passed the sacrament like a trained team. I was so frightened that the next Sunday I went early to the ward building to be by myself when no one could see me. I remember that it was the Yalecrest Ward in Salt Lake City, and it had a statue on the grounds. I went behind the statue and prayed fervently for help to know how not to fail as I took my place in passing the sacrament. That prayer was answered.” Clearly he was a spiritually mature young man if he prayed fervently like that for help in performing his priesthood service. This seems like a prayer that many of us, especially when in a new calling or responsibility, would utter. Interestingly, though, he made this observation: “But I know now that there is a better way to pray and to think as we try to grow in our priesthood service. It has come by my understanding why individuals are given the priesthood. The purpose for our receiving the priesthood is to allow us to bless people for the Lord, doing so in His name.” I love that description of our purpose—our focus should be on blessing people for the Lord in His name. But what is this better way to pray, even better than this sincere petition of a young deacon?  

President Eyring answered that question with another story: “As a high priest, I was assigned to visit a care center sacrament meeting. I was asked to pass the sacrament. Instead of thinking about the process or precision in the way I passed the sacrament, I instead looked in the faces of each elderly person. I saw many of them weeping. One lady grabbed my sleeve, looked up, and said aloud, ‘Oh, thank you, thank you.’ The Lord had blessed my service given in His name. That day I had prayed for such a miracle to come instead of praying for how well I might do my part. I prayed that the people would feel the Lord’s love through my loving service.” He then summarized this most important point: “I have learned this is the key to serving and blessing others in His name.” The key to serving is to pray for the people we serve that they might feel the Lord’s love through our efforts. Instead of praying that we might perform well or measure up or adequately fulfill our responsibilities—prayers, in the end, for ourselves—we should earnestly pray for the people we have an opportunity to serve. I believe Alma’s heartfelt prayer before starting his mission to the Zoramites is a powerful example of this. Although some of the prayer was for himself and his brethren, the focus was on receiving strength so he could bring the people unto the Savior: “O Lord, wilt thou grant unto us that we may have success in bringing them again unto thee in Christ. Behold, O Lord, their souls are precious, and many of them are our brethren; therefore, give unto us, O Lord, power and wisdom that we may bring these, our brethren, again unto thee” (Alma 31:34-35). He was only worried about himself insomuch that it affected his ability to bring this people to the Savior. Our prayers should similarly focus on how we can bless others and bring them unto the Savior without concern for how we will look or how well we will perform against some list of expected duties.

                This idea I believe is summarized well in the song Window to His Love by Julie de Azevedo. Some of the lyrics say this:

 

I want to be a window to his love

So when you look at me you will see him

I want to be so pure and clear

That you won't even know I'm here

'Cause his love will shine brightly through me

 

A window to his love

A doorway to the truth

A bearer of the message

He'd have me bring to you

And with each passing day

I want to fade away

'Til only he can be seen

And I become a window to his love

 

I love that idea that as we serve and help others, we are a window to His love, and we fade away so that only He is seen. How well we fulfill some checklist of duties or how well we measure up to our calling in the eyes of others is far less important that how well we shine the light of the Savior for others to feel.