Pray in Faith

President Nelson gave us this invitation in the most recent general conference: “My dear brothers and sisters, my call to you this Easter morning is to start today to increase your faith. Through your faith, Jesus Christ will increase your ability to move the mountains in your life, even though your personal challenges may loom as large as Mount Everest.” One of his suggestions for doing so was to ask for help from the Father through prayer: “Ask your Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, for help.” This is the prayer that the disciples of the Savior had when they said to Him at the prospect of doing something very difficult: “Lord, Increase our faith” (Luke 17:5). We must seek more faith in the Lord by praying earnestly to Him. Our prayer should similarly be to have His help to increase our own faith. Mormon recorded one instance of when the righteous Nephites’ prayers indeed granted them more faith: “They did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ” (Helaman 3:35). As we seek the Lord diligently through prayer, we will grower stronger and firmer in our faith in Him.

                As we pray for more faith, the scriptures teach that we must pray in faith. Jacob invited us to “look unto God with firmness of mind, and pray unto him with exceeding faith” (Jacob 3:1).  In a modern revelation, the Lord referred to how He granted the desires of the ancient Book of Mormon prophets because of “their faith in their prayers,” a phrase He used three times (Doctrine and Covenants 10:47,49,52). Alma (the Elder) “prayed with much faith” over his son which brought the angel to the rebellious younger Alma (Mosiah 27:14). Many years later that younger Alma “prayed in faith” in a heartfelt plea to the Lord to help others who had lost their way (Alma 31:38). Nephi similarly did “pray continually” and “cry unto [his] God in faith” as he pleaded for his people (2 Nephi 33:3). Mormon wrote of how the “prayers of those who have gone hence, who were the holy ones, should be fulfilled according to their faith” (3 Nephi 5:14).  Moroni similarly recorded his hope for the desires of those prophets who had gone before him that “the Lord Jesus Christ grant that their prayers may be answered according to their faith” (Mormon 9:37). All of these passages highlight the need for us to prayer to the Lord in faith; if we want His help we must seek Him earnestly through prayer in faith, believing that He can truly come to our aid. And those efforts will also increase our faith in Him.

When the Prophet Joseph needed a specific blessing from the Lord—help in getting out of debt—the Lord said this: “And it is my will that you shall humble yourselves before me, and obtain this blessing by your diligence and humility and the prayer of faith. And inasmuch as you are diligent and humble, and exercise the prayer of faith, behold, I will soften the hearts of those to whom you are in debt, until I shall send means unto you for your deliverance” (Doctrine and Covenants 104:79-80). He offered Joseph help to be delivered from this specific trial if he would be diligent and prayer in faith. Surely the same promise is for all of us; He can move our mountains and deliver us from trouble if we will but pray unto Him in faith. As we seek His specific help, believing He can help us in each particular challenge in our lives, I know that He hears us and indeed sends means for our deliverance. As President Nelson declared, “With faith in Him, we can move the mountains in our lives.”