Pray Unto Him Continually

Jacob invited his people and us in these words: “Behold, my beloved brethren, remember the words of your God; pray unto him continually by day, and give thanks unto his holy name by night” (2 Nephi 9:52). After we have entered on the covenant path, much of our effort is focused on remembering God and continuing to pray. Several verses in the Book of Mormon have similar language. Alma invited the people of Ammonihah: “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually” (Alma 13:28). He observed that the people of Sidom soon thereafter followed this counsel: “[They] began to humble themselves before God, and began to assemble themselves together at their sanctuaries to worship God before the altar, watching and praying continually, that they might be delivered from Satan” (Alma 15:17). Nephi also expressed how he did not cease to pray for his people: “For I pray continually for them by day, and mine eyes water my pillow by night, because of them; and I cry unto my God in faith, and I know that he will hear my cry” (2 Nephi 33:3). After the great war between the Lamanites and Nephites, the people of God “did pray unto the Lord their God continually, insomuch that the Lord did bless them” (Alma 62:51). The Nephites after the Savior’s visit among them “did walk after the commandments which they had received from their Lord and their God, continuing in fasting and prayer” (4 Nephi 1:12). We must never cease to pray, and like these examples in the Book of Mormon we can continue to call upon the name of the Lord every day.

            After Lehi died, things seems to have deteriorated rapidly in their family and Laman and Lemuel again sought to take the life of Nephi. Nephi gave this brief description of how he responded: “Behold, it came to pass that I, Nephi, did cry much unto the Lord my God, because of the anger of my brethren” (2 Nephi 5:1). I love that description because it shows where we must turn in every family difficulty. As we struggle in our homes with contention and anger and other challenges, this is sometimes the only thing in the moment that we can do to help: pray to the Lord for those who are struggling. As I did so yesterday when one of my children was having a particularly hard time, I was amazed at how quickly things improved. It was a reminder to me that we must continually pray for each other in our families and we should never underestimate the power of fervent pray for those whom we love. I believe those prayers, though, must be continued day after day as we seek his help to bless our homes and families and friends. Like Moses we must commit to ourselves, “I will not cease to call upon God, I have other things to inquire of him” (Moses 1:18). Our attitude especially towards those we love most should be like that of Mormon as he described it to his son Moroni: “I am mindful of you always in my prayers, continually praying unto God the Father in the name of his Holy Child, Jesus, that he, through his infinite goodness and grace, will keep you through the endurance of faith on his name to the end” (Moroni 8:3). He had a continual prayer in his heart for his son as they struggled through terribly difficult days when the Nephites all turned to wickedness. We must likewise have the faith to continue in prayer always, trusting that the Lord hears and answers those petitions especially which are offered in behalf of the ones we love most.