Prayer

I have been dedicating my scripture study recently to prayer.  I don't know if this happens to anyone else, but prayers at our house are often rather rushed.  And it may or may not occasionally happen that Justin and I fight about who's turn it is to say our couples prayer at night.  Totally uplifting I know....  After recently reading the biography of Joseph Smith by his mother Lucy Mack Smith I was impressed by how important prayer was to their entire family.  I'm sure that Joseph went to the sacred grove to pray because he had often seen his mother do so.  I do want my children to learn to talk to their Father, which by default means that I must get better at it myself.

The most interesting thing I have noticed so far is that most prayers in the scriptures involve a significant amount of praising their God.  How often do we do that in prayer?  I honestly can't think of a time that I have, I thank a lot, but actual praise... not so much.  What does that accomplish in a prayer?  Worship?  Reminding us who we are speaking to?

I love to get up early in the morning to read my scriptures and this morning I made an effort to really pray.  I prayed for patience, I have been a little short tempered lately in these last stages of pregnancy.  And this morning my children got up CRANKY.  The fighting and whining really hasn't been as bad as that in awhile.  And while I can't say that I wasn't irritated.  I didn't yell once wahoo!!!  I felt like I managed to handle discipline with patience and love and a million times better than I would have without the grace of my Heavenly Father who was able to make me more than I am just for today.

It made me realize how powerful prayer really is.  I have always known that Heavenly Father has many blessings he wants to bestow on us, but we must first ask for them.  To me this always sounded kind of selfish, shouldn't I do more thanking than requesting?  But I realized that there is a difference between saying a quick prayer with a laundry list of requests and a sincere prayer in which you truly try to align your will with the Father's.

I also think of the many intercessory prayers that the prophets have said for their people.  Moses asking God to not destroy the children of Israel.... The Abrahamic covenant that was given to three generations of prophets after their sincere requests..... Enos.  What would have happened had they not asked?  Would history be different?  Why is the actual asking so important??