Speaking to the multitude, He told them to watch and pray to
avoid entering into temptation. “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan
hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat” (Luke 22:31).
“And I, Lehi, according to the things which I have read,
must needs suppose that an angel of God, according to that which is written,
had fallen from heaven; wherefore, he became a devil, having sought that which
was evil before God.
“And because he had fallen from heaven, and had become
miserable forever, he sought also the misery of all mankind. Wherefore, he said
unto Eve, yea, even that old serpent, who is the devil, who is the father of
all lies, wherefore he said: Partake of the forbidden fruit, and ye shall not
die, but ye shall be as God, knowing good and evil” (2 Nephi 2:17-18).
“Satan stirreth them up, that he may lead their souls to
destruction.
“And thus he has laid a cunning plan, thinking to destroy
the work of God; but I will require this at their hands, and it shall turn to
their shame and condemnation in the day of judgment.
“Yea, he stirreth up their hearts to anger against this
work” (D&C 10:22-24).
They were commanded to pray to the Father in His name. And,
whatever they ask, if it is right, and asked in faith, it will be given to
them.
“Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt
cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the
yoke, the putting forth of the finger [IE pointing in a gesture of scorn], and
speaking vanity” (Isaiah 58:9).
“Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you,
If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the
fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be
thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
“And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer,
believing, ye shall receive” (Matthew 21:21-22).
“Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire,
when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them” (Mark
11:24).
“And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness,
behold, I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in
deed, in faith and in works; yea, even that all things shall be done unto thee
according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my
will” (Helaman 10:5).
“Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ,
doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it
shall be granted him; and this promise is unto all, even unto the ends of the
earth” (Mormon 9:21).
“And after that he came men also were saved by faith in his
name; and by faith, they become the sons of God. And as surely as Christ liveth
he spake these words unto our fathers, saying: Whatsoever thing ye shall ask
the Father in my name, which is good, in faith believing that ye shall receive,
behold, it shall be done unto you” (Moroni 7:26).
“Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me
diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall
be opened unto you.
“Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name it shall be given
unto you, that is expedient for you;
“And if ye ask anything that is not expedient for you, it shall
turn unto your condemnation” (D&C 88:63-65).
“Consider, for example, how many sincerely believe that if
they simply ask for something in prayer, God will grant it, especially if they
ask with at least a modicum of faith. King Benjamin counseled us, however, that
while we are to pray in faith, it should be for ‘that [which] is right’ (Mosiah
4:21). The resurrected Jesus so confirmed, saying: ‘And whatsoever ye shall ask
the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold
it shall be given unto you’ (3 Nephi 18:20).
“The phrase ‘which is right’ is correlated. Not
surprisingly, Paul likewise understood the need for inspired prayers, saying: ‘Likewise
the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray
for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with
groanings which cannot be uttered’ (Romans 8:26). I hope I am not the only one
in this audience who has sometimes wondered what to pray for. Therefore, how
much, in the complexities of life's situations, we need to have our very
prayers inspired!”[1]
The Savior reminded the fathers they were to pray in
families so their families would be blessed.
“Pray in your families unto the Father, always in my name, that your
wives and your children may be blessed” (Alma 34:21).
“And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and
shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by
the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up” (Deuteronomy 6:7).
“For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a
law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known
to their children” (Psalms 78:5).
“And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great
shall be the peace of thy children” (Isaiah 54:13).
“And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but
bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).
“But ye will teach them to walk in the ways of truth and
soberness; ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one another” (Mosiah
4:15).
“And again, inasmuch as parents have children in Zion, or in
any of her stakes which are organized, that teach them not to understand the
doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ the Son of the living God, and of
baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of the hands, when
eight years old, the sin be upon the heads of the parents” (D&C 68:25).
“Morning and evening prayers—and all of the prayers in
between—are not unrelated, discrete events; rather, they are linked together
each day and across days, weeks, months, and even years. This is in part how we
fulfill the scriptural admonition to ‘pray always.’ Such meaningful prayers are
instrumental in obtaining the highest blessings God holds in store for His
faithful children.”[2]
[1] King
Benjamin's Sermon: A Manual for Discipleship, Elder Neal A. Maxwell,
Maxwell Institute website.
[2] Pray
Always, Elder David A. Bednar, October 2008 General Conference.
No comments:
Post a Comment