The Power of Prayer

 “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”-- Matthew 7:7-8 (KJV)

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My purpose is to provide uplifting reading material. I only gather and share information. Some of the material comes from my own life experience; some doesn’t. I don’t claim to be an expert, or to have all the answers.

Thanks for your support!

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Image courtesy of publicdomainpictures.net

Doesn’t life often seem like this winding staircase? We can only see a few steps in front of us. It’s maddening! It’s contrary to our “immediate information” culture. There’s no GPS telling us every move to make. No architectural blueprint tells us what’s below or beyond us. There’s no tour guide. How do we proceed?

Hope and guidance comes through prayer—that divine connection. John, chapter 15, gives us the allegory of the vine and the branches. The vine is the symbol of Jesus. We (the branches) need to be connected to him/it to survive. Simple science. 

In another metaphor, Jesus is described as a light: “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”-- John 8:12 (KJV)

Prayer doesn’t always offer immediate help. We don’t always get clear answers.   We can certainly obtain light and guidance through prayer. Let’s look at some situations:

1. Helps lighten our spirits, despite tough circumstances (especially if we show gratitude [give thanks] before we ask for what we want.)

2. Gets us what we want

Parents on Earth don’t always know what their kids need until/unless they ask. For instance, if a teen needs help with homework, she’ll probably have to request assistance.

“One of the objects of prayer is to secure blessings that God is willing to grant but that are made conditional on our asking.”—Elder Dale G. Renlund

“Be careful what you ask for,” is a common phrase, “You may get it.” King Midas, of Greek mythology, certainly “got it”. He asked for the ability to turn everything he touched into gold. Well, one can’t eat or hug gold.

Elijah and Elisha of the Bible provide two other cases. Elijah was turning the duties of the prophet over to Elisha. This is how it went:

“And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.”-- 2 Kings 2:9 (KJV)

Further scriptures show that Elisha performed twice as many miracles as Elijah, and so forth. Elisha believed, asked, and received.

3. Guides us (literally and figuratively)

4. Offers protection (even in dangerous situations)

My Conclusion

Prayer can access Heaven’s power. There are plenty of moving songs about it. Please enjoy this cover of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing the hymn, “Prayer is the Soul’s Sincere Desire”:

Are you harnessing the power of prayer?