Jesus Christ

Growing up, I was taught to recite a little prayer. At the end, I could tack on requests, but I never really gave any thought to getting results from my prayers until I became a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. From the Mormons (the nickname sometimes used for members of the Church), I learned that most prayers should be two-way conversations, not recited routines given without thought. It was a new way to look at prayer for me. Once I understood that I could talk to God in the same way I talk to others, I also understood it was not a monologue. I was supposed to give God a chance to answer, as well. This was confusing. How would that happen? Sometimes it was obvious. If I needed to find ten more dollars for textbooks and got offered a babysitting job that paid what I needed, I knew I’d gotten my answer. However, what if I only needed advice? How did I get advice in the form of a prayer answer? How to Pray The first step was... Read the rest of this entry »

Prayer is the method God planned to allow us to communicate with Him while we are living on Earth. While there is a pattern to prayer, there are no firm rules and prayer can often be an informal conversation held throughout the day. However, when we are praying publicly or in a more planned but private prayer, there are guidelines we should follow. These ensure our prayers are respectful and contain all that needs to be included. Mormons—a nickname for members of The Church of Jesus—teach that prayer should begin with a respectful greeting to God. Most begin by saying, “Dear Heavenly Father” or “Our beloved Father in Heaven” or something similar. They do not pray directly to Jesus because Jesus instructed them to pray to God through Jesus Christ. “And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and... Read the rest of this entry »