Gospel Doctrine Commentary
Lesson No. Thirty-Nine

By Example Jesus Taught the Importance of Prayer

Jesus, as the Mortal Messiah, set the example of prayer – The New Testament records ten occasions that Jesus prayed to his Father.  These prayers reveal much about the pattern of His life and of His character.  The following are great examples:

  • “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed” (Mark 1:35).
  • “And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God” (Luke 6:12).
  • “And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt” (Matthew 26:39)
  • “Neither pray I for these [the Apostles] alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us” (John 17:20-21).

Christ Praying with the Nephites - Ted Henninger

Jesus, as the Resurrected Messiah, continued His example of prayer – As Jesus taught the Nephites as recorded in 3 Nephi 11 – 19 there are approximately 60 verses dedicated to prayer.  Third Nephi 17-19 records four times that Jesus, as the resurrected Messiah, offered the most marvelous prayers on behalf of the Nephites.  This includes the follow account:

     “And when he had said these words, he himself also knelt upon the earth, and behold he prayed unto the Father, and the things which he prayed cannot be written…
     “And after this manner do they bear record:  The eye hath never seen, neither hath the ear heard, before, so great and marvelous things as we saw and heard Jesus speak unto the Father…
     “And when he had said these words, he wept…and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them. 
     “And when he had done this he wept again” (3 Nephi 17: 15, 16, 21, 22).

Jesus taught the importance of prayer; this is echoed by living prophets – In 3 Nephi 18 Jesus commands three types of prayer:

  • Individual Prayer – “When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou has shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret; and thy Father, who seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly (3 Nephi 13: 6).  “Watch and pray always lest ye enter into temptation; for Satan desireth to have you, that he may sift you as wheat” (3 Nephi 18:18). 
  • Family Prayer – “Pray in your families unto the Father, always in my name, that your wives and your children may be blessed” (3 Nephi 18:21).  “In the past, having family prayer once a day may have been alright.  But in the future it will not be enough if we are going to save our families” (Spencer W. Kimball as quoted by James E. Faust, Ensign, November 1990, p. 33).
  • Prayer in Church – This includes the sacramental prayers.  (See 3 Nephi 18:1-14).  Jesus also commanded us to pray in our congregations as follows:  “And behold, ye shall meet together oft; and ye shall not forbid any man from coming unto you when ye shall meet together… ye shall pray for them unto the Father in my name” (3 Nephi 18: 22-23).

Public Prayer – There is no commandment for public prayer, but Jesus cautions as follows: “And when thou prayest thou shall not do as the hypocrites, for they love to pray, standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men.  Verily I say unto you, they have their reward” (3 Nephi 13:5).  “How often do we hear people who wax eloquent in their prayers to the extent of preaching a complete sermon?  The hearers tire and the effect is lost” (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p.120). 

Elder Dallin Oaks, who is a constitutional scholar, taught there is an important difference between “public prayer” and “government prayer”.  “It is important that we do not take God out of public life in such ways as eliminating our national motto ‘In God We Trust’, or try to restrict or censor people who offer a prayer in public when it is appropriate to do so. 

“It is far different for the government to write or proscribe a prayer that is to be given in public.  As the government should not write a prayer for people to give it should not try to censor prayers that are appropriate in a public setting.”

The inspired definition of prayer found in the LDS Bible Dictionary has blessed my life – I highly recommend a close study of it:     

“As soon as we learn the true relationship in which we stand toward God (namely, God is our Father, and we are His children), then at once prayer becomes natural and instinctive on our part.  Many of the so-called difficulties about prayer arise from forgetting this relationship.  Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other.  The object of prayer is not to change the will of God but to secure for ourselves and others blessings that God is already willing to grant but that are made conditional on our asking for them.  Blessings require some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them.  Prayer is a form of work and is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings.”
     “…Christians are taught to pray in Christ’s name.  We pray in Christ’s name when our mind is the mind of Christ, and our wishes the wishes of Christ – when His words abide in us.  We then ask for things it is possible for God to grant.  Many prayers remain unanswered because they are not in Christ’s name at all; they in no way represent His mind but spring out of the selfishness of man’s heart” (LDS Bible Dictionary, Prayer, last two paragraphs).

 

My prayer is:

“O thou by whom we come to God,
The Life, the Truth, the Way!
The path of prayer thyself hast trod;
Lord, teach us how to pray.” (Prayer Is the Soul’s Sincere Desire, Vs 8, LDS Hymn Book, p 145)