Modern Commandments: Pray Always

"Pray always, that you may come off conqueror; yea, that you may conquer Satan, and that you may escape the hands of the servants of Satan that do uphold his work." Doctrine & Covenants 10:5

Prayer is known to lead to blessings.

Praying has always been one of the most important ways to connect with God. We can increase in spirituality through scripture study and gospel discussions, but we as human beings are social creatures. We naturally want to talk to each other and God feels the same way.

In the scriptures, we read many stories of prophetic men who didn't just talk to God, but they talked with God. When God declared that a wicked city would be destroyed, Abraham negotiated with the Lord to spare his friend Lot. When God declared that the Isrealites would be destroyed for their rebellion, Moses begged Him to lighten their punishment. I've always been amazed by those early prophets in The Holy Bible, because talking to God was so natural to them. Their personal relationships with God gave them a lot of faith and trust.

God wants all of us to have a personal relationship with Him. Although there is no record of God specifically commanding people to pray in The Holy Bible, it is clear that it is God's will that we should watch and pray always.

How Can I Have a Personal Relationship With God?

Depending on what we understand about God, this could be difficult. The belief that God is a formless spirit doesn't inspire much confidence in having a personal relationship; neither does the belief that God is three beings at the same time. I believe that God is human like us, although he has greater power, intelligence, and glory than we do. I believe that He is our literal Father in Heaven and that His central desire is to bring us long term happiness. I also believe that Jesus Christ is the literal Son of God and our older brother in this life.

When we recognize that God is not only a person, but our Heavenly Father, our desire to know Him increases. We become more interested in learning who he is and what he wants for us. We become more spiritual because we see God as He truly is, a loving Father who wants the best for all of His Children. This perspective helps us relate more to Him and it makes a personal relationship possible.

How Can I Feel Comfortable Praying?

Nobody feels comfortable at first. However, when we know who God is and what He wants for us, praying becomes a lot easier.  Prayer is no ritual, it's literally socializing with God! When we talk to Him just like we would any other person, He can answer us more easily. Imagine how frustrating it can be to talk to someone who doesn't quietly listen while you speak, or to talk to somebody who only repeats the same things over and over. It would be very frustrating and you probably wouldn't want to talk to that person again. That's why it's so important to talk naturally with God.

Here's a simple outline that shows what a comfortable prayer looks like.

• We begin by addressing Our Father by Name.
• Then, we talk to Him like we would any other person. We can express our feelings, ask for support, confess mistakes that we've made, ask Him for forgiveness, and ask Him questions, which He will answer in His own way.
• Then, we close in the Name of Jesus Christ. We make sure to close in the Name of Jesus Christ to express gratitude for Him and His Father's sacrifice. We say Amen at the end of the prayer because that's a word that expresses that our prayer was sincere.

I've found several ways to improve the sincerity my prayers. One of them is to find a quiet place where we can pray out-loud without interruption. I've found closets to be a great location, especially during the calmer parts of the day. I also like to pray in a posture of reverence. It seems like the standard is to kneel with a bowed head and folded arms, but the position is not as important as simply making sure that we're being respectful to God. Finally, when I want to feel God's love the most, I focus on being thankful rather than making constant demands. In these ways, we can show God that we love Him more, so that He will show us His love.

Ideas For Living This Commandment

Prayer is all about making a time and place.

At Night, Pray before you get Tired
It's important to pray before you go to bed, but it's difficult to have a sincere prayer when you're tired. The need for sleep can lead you to either skip praying or say an uninterested prayer just to get it over with. If you pray in the evening just before you begin to get tired, you will be able to not only get to bed when you want, but also receive God's assurance that He will watch over you.

In the Morning, Pray just as you Wake Up
Unlike in the evening, where you want to avoid praying while tired, you should pray right when you wake up. That initial prayer will invigorate you and help you start your day with a positive attitude.