We need to take the time to understand prayer. The clarity it gives us makes it the best answer to our problems.
We can try to solve our problems in many ways, such as asking for advice or seeking distraction. But no solution is quite as powerful or comforting as prayer. Prayer gives us a direct line to God and the Spirit, who give us the clarity to see our problems for what they are and the ability to better see solutions.
In his 2008 general conference talk “Pray Always,” Elder David A. Bednar discusses the greatness of prayer and how much it helps us through our trials. He talks about an experience he and his wife had when they felt prompted to pray for the widow and children of a friend that had just passed away. Elder Bednar had originally wanted to ask for blessings upon their friends, but decided to focus on praying in gratitude after asking another member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for advice on the situation.
Sister Bednar then responded in faith and prayed only to thank Heavenly Father for all of their many blessings, even though asking for blessings for their friends may have seemed more pressing at the time. Elder Bednar said he learned a lot through that prayer, stating, “We learned that our gratitude for the plan of happiness and for the Savior’s mission of salvation provided needed reassurance and strengthened our confidence that all would be well with our dear friends.”
I know that prayer has also blessed my life. When studying in Germany, I struggled a lot with speaking the language. Not only was learning the language important to my survival in Berlin, but it was important for me to connect with my Swiss and German ancestry. The only thing that helped me get through the difficulty of learning it was prayer. The more I prayed, the stronger the Spirit was with me, which gave me peace, comfort, and focus. The more I prayed, the easier the language became, and I was soon able to communicate with ease. The power of prayer did that for me. Through prayer, we can all be blessed with the tools needed to find clarity within our trials. Fall to your knees and be blessed —Julia Provost, Latter-day Saint Insight
Read Elder Bednar’s full address, “Pray Always.”
Source: ChurchOfJesusChrist.org
—Julia Provost, Latter-day Saint Insights
FEATURE IMAGE BY BINTI MALU
Find more insights
Watch, read, or listen to Bishop H. Burke Peterson’s general conference talk “Adversity and Prayer” to learn more about how prayer helps us combat our trials.