Continually Watchful Unto Prayer

To my daughter,

                Recently you participated in the Primary program in Sacrament meeting, and you were able to share your testimony about the importance of prayer as we strive to follow the Savior. I hope that you will always remember to pray. Moroni wrote that we should be “continually watchful unto prayer,” which means that we continue to pray every day (Moroni 6:4). I hope you know that you can pray at all times and in any place you are in. Your Father in Heaven always hears your prayers and can help you in whatever you are doing. Sister Susan Porter told this story about prayer: “Have you ever felt alone? One day when our granddaughter Ashley was six years old, she was the only one without a friend to play with on the school playground. As she stood there, feeling unimportant and unseen, a specific thought came into her mind: ‘Wait! I’m not alone! I have Christ!’ Ashley knelt down right in the middle of the playground, folded her arms, and prayed to Heavenly Father. The moment she opened her eyes, a girl her age was standing there asking her if she wanted to play. Ashley came to know, ‘We are important to the Lord, and we are never truly alone.’” That seems perhaps strange to us that she would pray even on the playground, but Heavenly Father will hear us anywhere. Whenever you feel alone or need help or are scared, you can pray and the Lord will hear your prayer.

                Alma helped us to know what things we can pray for. He gave this counsel to his son that is applicable to each of us: “Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever. Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day” (Alma 37:36-37). Each night when we go to bed, we should pray and tell Him about our day. In the morning we should pray as well and give thanks for all that He has given us. The promise is that the Lord will direct our lives for good as we do this, and I know that is true. One of my favorite hymns about prayer is called Did You Think to Pray?, and the chorus has these words:

                                                         Oh, how praying rests the weary!

Prayer will change the night to day.

So, when life gets dark and dreary,

Don’t forget to pray. 

I love this idea that prayer will change the night to day. Prayer is like turning on a light switch in a dark room. The things in the room don’t immediately change (our problem don’t just magically go away when we pray), but our ability to understand them and navigate through them is drastically increased. I hope you will continue to pray every day, and you will come to know that God does indeed “hear and answer every child’s prayer.”

Love,

Dad