Powerful Prayers

I know I am coming late to the party, but I have made a discovery about prayer and that is there is power in it. I can see many heads nodding and even friends and family who are saying, “I have heard you bear testimony of this power many times!” That is true, but recently my prayers have lacked intensity and focus. I have actually prayed about praying, asking for help from on high. I have become somewhat puzzled about exactly how prayers function and why some seem to succeed and others not so much. I have just been voicing my gratitude, which is deep and sure. I have been avoiding asking for anything for some time, several months now. I have written about feeling my cup is overflowing and my heart is just filled with such thanksgiving. After many prayers wondering aloud and silently about the efficacy of prayer, I had a revelation.

I will back up to explain to those who may not know me well enough to understand that I do actually understand how prayers work. I know when I say the name “Heavenly Father”, His ears are immediately and instantly turned and tuned in to my voice or thoughts. I know he knows my hopes, desires, loves, plans, goals, etc. I also know that prayers are most effective when we are sincere, focused, grateful, and humble. I know we are utterly and completely dependent upon Jesus Christ and need to be in order to be truly converted. Elder Richard G. Scott says to be converted is to have love for all men and to have a fixed determination to live all the commandments of God. When we achieve this level of conversion, our prayers become more in tune with Heavenly Father’s will, and we do not ask for that which we ought not. In fact, when we do pray like that, Heavenly Father will grant us the things for which we have prayed.

Sorry to digress; it’s just that some people may question why I do not understand prayers. I have just discovered a new idea about prayer. That idea includes power, real, intense, effective power. When we pray in faith, we are actually creating power within the universe. We are the growers of that power. All power comes from Christ, who received all He has through the Father. The power is His; we simply grow it, make it more intense or purposeful, give it true direction, and magnify it or multiply it.

It follows the idea of glorifying Father in Heaven. We do that through our obedience. Imagine an invisible, long, golden cord tethered to us. All these shining, glimmering cords attach themselves to Christ. Christ has His own, which is tethered to Father. Through it personal revelation, answers to prayers, inspiration, and testimony flows from Heaven to us. When we are obedient, righteous, humble, long suffering, benevolent, faithful, kind, true, and loving, our cord becomes stronger and thicker. The more we act in these ways and grow our faith, glory is returned to our Savior and onto our Father along this golden cord. Resulting in Christ’s power intensifying and growing and glory is given.

Prayers follow this same thought process. If you can continue the imagery of the glorious, tethered cord, our prayers move upward and power is returned through the same means. If our prayers are truly in tune with the will of Father in Heaven, then our power to bring about the consequence we intend is magnified.

So as I was traveling to work early in the morning, I felt again the tendency to be unfocused, forgetting on the prayer I had begun. Instead I was imagining the day ahead and responsibilities and so forth. I wondered why my prayers were lacking the focus and intention and purpose I have experienced for many years. And then it came to me, like a flash of light. It is surely a duty of Satan and his minions to distract us and keep us from our prayers. They must realize full well the power that is created or generated by sincere, grateful, purposeful, and humble prayer. Consequently, I felt a renewed spirit of determination to not be distracted and detracted from my prayers, which are crucial to all of us.

I am not stating this is doctrine, but it feels true and good. I am enthusiastic to share any new discoveries I have with all those I love, know, and meet.