How to pray?

[johnnylingo]

I've been trying to pray daily, but I had a few questions:

1) How often and when do you pray? If I prayed when I got up, before I went to bed, and at 3 meals...that comes up to 5 times a day. Do people actually do that??

2) What do you ask forgiveness for, if you're generally doing o.k.? For thinking mean thoughts, for being impatient, for being less kind then you could be? I want to ask for forgiveness more often in my prayers, and I'd like to hear what other people say.

3) How do you avoid repetitions in your prayers? Aren't you always grateful/always asking for the same things?

4) How often do you kneel in prayer?

Thanks, praying daily is pretty tough for me....

Edited December 15, 2010 by johnnylingo

[Wingnut]

2) What do you ask forgiveness for, if you're generally doing o.k.? For thinking mean thoughts, for being impatient, for being less kind then you could be? I want to ask for forgiveness more often in my prayers, and I'd like to hear what other people say.

When I was in my early 20's, I had a Sunday School teacher around my mom's age who told me that she asked Heavenly Father to show her what she needed to repent of. She went on to say that it was unexpected and she was overwhelmed by the number of things she became aware of that she had thought nothing of before that.

[Backroads]

I pray at least once daily, before bed. I'm trying to get into the habit of morning prayers as well. Honestly, I don't ask for forgiveness much... I should work on that, and maybe ask to be more aware of what I need forgiveness for as well. The personal guilt thing isn't kicking in. Or maybe I'm just a good person. ;D

As for avoiding repetition, I don't think repetition is necessarily bad in of itself. There are things you should be always grateful for, and there are things you should always be asking for. I think that when it becomes thoughtless a problem arises. I try to be more specific about particulars, even if it's a variation of one of my "normal" prayer bits. I'm grateful for my family, but what in particular has struck out to me that day?

I almost always kneel in prayer, though at night I kneel on the bed.

[Guest]

I've been trying to pray daily, but I had a few questions:

1) How often and when do you pray? If I prayed when I got up, before I went to bed, and at 3 meals...that comes up to 5 times a day. Do people actually do that??

Whenever I feel the desire to talk to my Heavenly Father. It could be while stuck in traffic and my frustration level is starting to rise, I say a quick prayer to ask God to help me control my temper. Or it could be while passing by some really gorgeous christmas lights and I say a quick prayer to thank God for sending His Son. It's really almost like picking up the phone to call my husband every time I see something that I want to tell him about...

2) What do you ask forgiveness for, if you're generally doing o.k.? For thinking mean thoughts, for being impatient, for being less kind then you could be? I want to ask for forgiveness more often in my prayers, and I'd like to hear what other people say.

I ask forgiveness if I realize I did something bad. I don't wait until "morning prayer" or "evening prayer" or whatever prayer. I say the prayer right at the moment I realize I did something awful.

So, if I'm praying to bless the food before I eat, I'm not usually asking for forgiveness for something...

3) How do you avoid repetitions in your prayers? Aren't you always grating/always asking for the same things?

If you're praying just for the sake of praying, then sure, you can fall in the pit of repititive prayer - mouthing something just to have something to say. That's not what prayer is about though. You pray when you have something to say to your Heavenly Father.

For example, I talk to my husband daily. 10 times daily even. My conversations with him are never repetitive - because we have something to say to each other, even if it's the same topic we talked about yesterday (like which football team won over the weekend - we can talk about that everyday for the rest of the week). But, I don't talk to my husband just to mark it off my checklist that I "talked to him daily". This is the same as prayer. Prayer is not a "to do list" kind of thing.

4) How often do you kneel in prayer?

Thanks, praying daily is pretty tough for me....

Everytime the situation allows. Of course, when I'm driving and I offer a quick prayer, I don't kneel down - I don't close my eyes and bow my head either. That's one sure way to get into an accident.

[lizzy16]

1) How often and when do you pray? If I prayed when I got up, before I went to bed, and at 3 meals...that comes up to 5 times a day. Do people actually do that??

I pray a lot :) More then that....

In 7th and 8th grade I had a rough school years..And, prayer kept me going. I would pray walking to school, in the lunchline, in class. I usually pray in school a few times. I just kept my eyes open and my mind foucased.

2) everything and anything thats bad. I don't do it as often as I should.

3) Try to rephrase things.

4) not as often as I should.

[johnnylingo]

Thanks for your replies. It really motivates me to do better!

[bert10]

Asking for forgiveness and receiving it is two things. There is no remission for that particular sin until a change is made within us. Works of repentance is the gospel of repentance and GOD gave us the gospel of repentance so that we could learn to overcome the world. He said that He came to call sinners into repentance and they must remain there until by a mighty change they overcome.

Effective prayer...is contact with GOD. In Isaiah we are told that by iniquities we are separated from GOD and by our sins GOD hide His face so that He does not hear. [Answer]

Formal prayer is good but not practical for the whole day. God said to pray always.

This is where Praising and thanking GOD comes in. We can use this for every little woes that come into our lives as well as for everything else. We can thank and praise the Lord for a snow storm, a red light that always seems to bar our way when we are in hurry....when we thank GOD for the red light...we might as well as thank Him and praise Him for us being in a hurry. In a day we think and do a great deal many things...and if we learn to praise and thank GOD for all things...then we will form a contact with GOD and we will begin to feel the hand of GOD in our lives. As a break sometime GOD will give us a perfect day where everything is timed and goes our way. When this happens never fail to thank GOD for all things.

Other things we can do..singing good songs, thinking good thoughts and blessing others. These are also prayers. Over time we can develop an attitude of prayer. When we get there...our whole life will be prayer unto GOD.

bert10

I've been trying to pray daily, but I had a few questions:

1) How often and when do you pray? If I prayed when I got up, before I went to bed, and at 3 meals...that comes up to 5 times a day. Do people actually do that??

2) What do you ask forgiveness for, if you're generally doing o.k.? For thinking mean thoughts, for being impatient, for being less kind then you could be? I want to ask for forgiveness more often in my prayers, and I'd like to hear what other people say.

3) How do you avoid repetitions in your prayers? Aren't you always grateful/always asking for the same things?

4) How often do you kneel in prayer?

Thanks, praying daily is pretty tough for me....

[Traveler]

I've been trying to pray daily, but I had a few questions:

1) How often and when do you pray? If I prayed when I got up, before I went to bed, and at 3 meals...that comes up to 5 times a day. Do people actually do that??

2) What do you ask forgiveness for, if you're generally doing o.k.? For thinking mean thoughts, for being impatient, for being less kind then you could be? I want to ask for forgiveness more often in my prayers, and I'd like to hear what other people say.

3) How do you avoid repetitions in your prayers? Aren't you always grateful/always asking for the same things?

4) How often do you kneel in prayer?

Thanks, praying daily is pretty tough for me....

I will post what I have found as the best means to make my prayers meaningful. Whenever I identify something that is important to me that I need to do - I take time to take the issue before G-d and just explain as best I can my concerns and thoughts. I then outline as best as I can what my plans are concerning what I want to do (or say), I ask for help to implement my plan and end my prayer.

I then find some time to think and ponder my concern and listen to my thoughts.

Then when I have finished doing what I intended or during a break from doing what I am trying to do; I have another prayer where I report in what is happening and how I feel about the results of my efforts.

I find that this ask and report method has help me a great deal to draw closer to the spirit and to G-d to help with many things like arguments I have with my wife, problems with work as well as gospel questions. I have employed this method even with some posts on this forum.

The Traveler

[catalyst]

I don't pray on some sort of regimen-when I wake up, go to bed, ect. I pray when I feel the need to communicate with the lord.:)

[Traveler]

I don't pray on some sort of regimen-when I wake up, go to bed, ect. I pray when I feel the need to communicate with the lord.:)

As a minimum I pray every morning to review my plans for the day and every night to report in about the day and how all things worked out.

The Traveler

[Dove]

Hello, Johnny LIngo;

Thank you for starting this thread. This is an important topic to discuss...

I apologize. Right now I'm frustrated because I had written several paragraphs already to post and somehow I deleted all of them before I could finish and post them. So, I'll try to recap what I had already written....

I would suggest that you do a scripture search on prayer.....The scriptures are full of instructions on how to pray. One instruction they give is to "pray always," and to always have a prayer in our hearts...To me, this becomes about where our heart is in praying too.....sincere prayer is really important.

One question that came to my mind as I read your op and the other posts has more to do with the state of ones' heart than with the logistics of prayer, The question is; How do you view who God Is?

For me, I like to view Him as my best Friend.....my Father.....a perfect being who has my best eternal welfare at heart. Someone I can trust implicitly. Because of His perfect knowledge of all things and the unfathomable love He has for me, a whole panorama of subjects I can approach Him about in prayer is only limited by my own limited, fallen and imperfect nature. Because He is my BFF, He is interested in and cares about anything that matters to me to talk to Him about...

I believe having a prayer "always in our hearts" is really an advanced state of spirituality and righteousness. It is becoming so in tune to the Holy Spirit that praying and receiving answers to our prayers comes naturally throughout the day. I believe it is a state of being.

You mentioned praying for forgiveness. I only feel comfortable praying to be forgiven after I've apologized to Him for the wrongdoing and have asked for help in repenting and have striven to repent.....A scripture comes to mind...Ether 3:2...where the brother of Jared acknowledges how unworthy and fallen He is before God....I remember the verses too, on always acknowledging to God how unworthy and fallen we are. A lot of my gratitude comes from realizing how necessary the atonement and the grace of Christ are in even being able to pray and receive answers to my prayers.

Anyway, this is quite a topic! I hope what I've written helps. The best in your journey of prayer...

Dove

[mnn727]

I've been trying to pray daily, but I had a few questions:

1) How often and when do you pray? If I prayed when I got up, before I went to bed, and at 3 meals...that comes up to 5 times a day. Do people actually do that??

Yes and more even

2) What do you ask forgiveness for, if you're generally doing o.k.? For thinking mean thoughts, for being impatient, for being less kind then you could be? I want to ask for forgiveness more often in my prayers, and I'd like to hear what other people say.

For whatever is bothering you (if anything is) How about for opportunities to do good that you may have missed?

3) How do you avoid repetitions in your prayers? Aren't you always grateful/always asking for the same things?

hard to do but gets easier the more you pray

4) How often do you kneel in prayer?

Never, I have bad knee's

Thanks, praying daily is pretty tough for me

It gets easier the more you do it. I had a SS teacher tell us that when she prayed it was like she would talk to her father, I think thats a good starting point. Edited December 16, 2010 by mnn727

[Avrham]

well first I always bow on my wonky knees> no just kidding only sometimes good thread well how to pray?always open with God and end in Jesus Christ name thats how I was taught from a young age

as to the scenario's I have prayed range from being lost emotional/physically to finding out things about myself and others also lifes questions that might stump me(still today)

I always find myself being thankfully always in my prayers for everything and everyone in my life the best part about my prayers are always the answers man they just blow me away and reinforces what is already in front of my eyes that leads me to a new light on things:):):)

[Mute]

I've been trying to pray daily, but I had a few questions:

1) How often and when do you pray? If I prayed when I got up, before I went to bed, and at 3 meals...that comes up to 5 times a day. Do people actually do that??

2) What do you ask forgiveness for, if you're generally doing o.k.? For thinking mean thoughts, for being impatient, for being less kind then you could be? I want to ask for forgiveness more often in my prayers, and I'd like to hear what other people say.

3) How do you avoid repetitions in your prayers? Aren't you always grateful/always asking for the same things?

4) How often do you kneel in prayer?

Thanks, praying daily is pretty tough for me....

When I was religious, I very rarely ever prayed over food. I usually only prayed before bed if at all. I would occasionally say prayers during the day but I wouldn't kneel down for them. I usually didn't kneel down for prayers unless I felt it might help show I was sincere.

You can avoid repetition by believing you're talking to a real person. I believed I was. If I didn't have something to talk about, I generally didn't talk. I didn't like praying just for the sake of praying.

I never really felt right asking for forgiveness unless I felt I did something that personally had to do with God. If I made someone unhappy or sad, I didn't ask for God's forgiveness because it had nothing to do with him. Sometimes I'd talk to God about various things or at least I believed I was talking to God. I don't know if there was actually anyone listening or not but God is who my words and thoughts were intended for.

[Jmaddox]

If you're praying just for the sake of praying, then sure, you can fall in the pit of repititive prayer - mouthing something just to have something to say. That's not what prayer is about though. You pray when you have something to say to your Heavenly Father.

That is a great statement i have never looked at it that way. My bishop says i need to pray at least two times a day morning and evening (preparing for a mission) and i do but i am guilty of praying cause i have to. I just realized i don't pray like i should sometimes. thanks again for the post Dove

[bert10]

Then you are failing the Commandment of God who said to pray always.

Luke 21:36 - Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to

pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

I think you are going to have to start thinking outside of the box, since the Lord did not mean for men to remain on their knees all the day long. Beatitude ...or be in the attitude of prayer...is the key.

bert10

As a minimum I pray every morning to review my plans for the day and every night to report in about the day and how all things worked out.

The Traveler

[spamlds]

I make it a point to have a kneeling prayer in the morning when I get up and before I retire at night. We bless our meals at home, which is a short little prayer of thanksgiving. We don't pray at restaurants or in public places, except for church meetings.

During the day, I often turn my thoughts to the Lord and seek his Spirit to help me deal with challenges, stress, a difficult problem, or perhaps a church assignment.

Prayers don't have to be long to be effective. Pray what you feel. If you don't feel like praying, tell the Lord, "Lord, I don't feel much like praying, but I want to show you I'm engaged and that I care about doing the right thing. If you have anything for me, I'm listening." Then listen.

When you pray, and immediately afterwards, take note of the thoughts that come into your mind. The Spirit will speak to you and give you guidance. This usually comes in little "flashes" of inspired thoughts. If you get off your knees and immediately and don the iPod headphones or start texting your friends, you might miss those quiet impressions. It's easy to dismiss them.

Spending a few minutes with the scriptures along with your prayers extends the "window of opportunity" for inspiration to come.

Stick with it. You'll see blessings come. You don't need to make a laundry list of things to be grateful for. Just speak to him like you would a friend and tell him what you feel. Then, as any good friend should do, listen to the replies that come back.

[Tantalus]

Interesting. Do any of you base the effectiveness of your prayers off some type of result, ex. more good days etc.?

Do any of you believe God actually speaks back to you, or as one reply said, give you visions?

Thanks in advance.

[captmoroniRM]

Yes on all counts. Sometimes, the only benefit out of our prayers is just a better day. Sometimes it comes as a still small voice. Sometimes it comes when we are reading the scriptures. He can answer via visions, but those are a lot less common. Sometimes the answers to prayers are a worsening of our day or trials or obstacles for us to overcome. I like the part in the movie Evan Almighty where God appears to Evan's wife as a waiter at the restaurant and through their conversation asks her which is better, if someone prays for patience, does God simply give them patience, or opportunities to become patient. I have had my prayers answered in numerous ways. 99% of the time, regardless of the form of the answer, there is always something in the answer that knows it stemmed from a prayer. Often times, if I'm specific in what I prayer for, the answers are very specific, in that it happens exactly the way I prayed it would.

[TheActualLiz]

I've been trying to pray daily, but I had a few questions:

That's a good start so... props!

1) How often and when do you pray? If I prayed when I got up, before I went to bed, and at 3 meals...that comes up to 5 times a day. Do people actually do that??

Yup. I will say that the types of prayers I say/think are not always within the traditional LDS format... I am pretty sure Heavenly Father still hears me though.

2) What do you ask forgiveness for, if you're generally doing o.k.? For thinking mean thoughts, for being impatient, for being less kind then you could be? I want to ask for forgiveness more often in my prayers, and I'd like to hear what other people say.

Those are all great examples of things to ask forgiveness for... especially since the Lord looks on the heart. Mental stains are great to get rid of... if your heart and mind are unified in good thoughts and desires then you will suffer much less in this life... can't speak on the next life, that's Christ's job.

3) How do you avoid repetitions in your prayers? Aren't you always grateful/always asking for the same things?

Personally, I don't. I actually use a rosary sometimes (Buddhist style... 108 beads and no cross) and find it to be helpful. When I say or think something 108 times I may be repeating myself a lot but I don't think those are vain repetitions since the meaning of what I am saying will change over the course of the prayer.... "We pray for peace" might mean that I want the war to end the first few times, then I am want to join with all others who are praying for world peace later, then I realize how much I want peace in the home, how peace in the home starts with me, how I can think about things differently to become a more peaceful person, and finally how I can help spread that peace to others. In this type of prayer the words (and the rosary) are just tools to get my mind to slow down and hush up long enough for God to have a chance to create a large change in my heart... it's a "listening" type of prayer rather than a "talking" type of prayer (which I am also a big fan of).

4) How often do you kneel in prayer?

Rarely... I don't do a lot of the formalities you are "supposed" to do... sometimes I just pause for a moment and close my eyes... or stop what I am working on at the PC and put my hands over my face... or grab my beads and chant while I walk or lay down or am in a social situation. There are times I kneel but it is usually when I am overwhelmed and cannot stand up or when I am in a formal setting where kneeling is the norm. It all depends.

Thanks, praying daily is pretty tough for me....

You are doing the best you can... we all have difficulty at times... that's part of why I ignore all the "rules" so often... I don't want a "prayer template" to postpone or stop me from talking to Heavenly Father. I will say there is a good guideline for reasons to pray that I personally like:

1. Because you feel like praying...

2. Because you don't feel like praying...

3. Because it is time to eat!

Best wishes,

Liz C.

[bcguy]

I often find it difficult to pray in public. At a minimum, I close my eyes for a few seconds pray to my self, then eat lunch. At home of course, you can relax and do it more openly. I would say turn off the tv the internet, the radio, the kids, the dogs "put them out side if barking" and pray for your food. At night before going to bed, have a deep meditating prayer in a silent way or openly with words "I find it better in silent mode" then you will feel much better afterwords.

[TheActualLiz]

The prayer over food thing is something where I am perhaps a little confused... maybe you guys could help me out...

1. Sometimes I just say the prayer I learned in Catholic school... if I forget to pray at all before I start eating some small part of me goes "eep!"... strange, probably... wrong, probably not...

2. I find myself more compelled to pray when there is meat involved... like I wronged the animal and/or want that spirit to know that it is/was respected... I still eat meat but that feeling makes me eat less of it for sure... I hope God knows I am trying to do less harm...

3. Recently financial issues have made me become more aware of and grateful for food... not sure why it takes something like this for me to really think about the gratitude part... maybe I am just more spoiled then I want to admit...

4. I have absolutely prayed for protection against food poisoning... then proceed to consume the questionable item... this is probably ethically questionable in some of the situations I have been in... and probably less ethically questionable in other situations... not sure where to draw the line on this one...

5. With friends and family of all faiths the blessing issue can get awkward... I think a good rule of thumb on this one is to respect the tradition of the host... then again there is always the rare exception where I am just not sure what to do...

Thanks for listening to me ramble. Any suggestions or observations would be appreciated.