Understanding Prayer

Monday, April 8, 2013 (From my journal)

I decided as I watched General Conference, I felt that I needed to study about prayers so that I would have more effective prayers. This morning I slept in until 6:52 and I had to work at 7:00 so I didn't pray at all even though I remembered that I should pray. So at work, I decided to start studying about prayer. In the Bible dictionary, it is stated that we forget or have “difficulties” praying because we forget our relationship - parent/child relationship - with God. I thought this was pretty interesting and profound. I think I have a difficulty understanding why understanding this relationship would help me pray more often and sincerely since I do not feel that way with my parents; I would rather not talk to them and tell them what is going on with my life. However, I can see why this is true for many people because their parents are their best friends and they have better relationships with their parents than I with my parents.

What does it mean to correspond our will with God’s will? Does that mean sharing my will and understanding His will? God always has blessings in store for us but we must ask to receive them. Why is that? Is that because we need to know what those blessings are? Is it so that we would appreciate those blessings that God is willing to give us? To recognize His hand in all things? It is not just about asking but asking for the right thing, or God’s will, to be realized. Perhaps, what I need to pray for is to understand His will and plan for me.

When my prayers don’t get answered, it could be that I am praying out of my selfish desires or it’s not God’s will or timing. I don’t think it’s one or the other but both. I might pray with many selfish intentions without thinking of others or understanding how it could affect others. Am I praying only for myself instead of others? I usually pray for myself. I need to fix that and think of others and pray for them. What I pray should be what Christ would pray for.