it is our duty to pray; trust God (Brigham Young)

Some of the brethren come to me and say, “Brother Brigham, is it my duty to pray when I have not one particle of the spirit of prayer in me?” True, at times men are perplexed and full of care and trouble, their ploughs and other implements are out of order, their animals have strayed, and a thousand things perplex them; yet our judgment teaches us that it is our duty to pray, whether we are particularly in the spirit of praying or not. My doctrine is, it is duty to pray; and when the time for prayer comes, John should say, “This is the place and this is the time to pray: knees bend down upon that floor, and do so at once.” But John says, “I do not want to pray; I do not feel like it.” Knees, get down, I say; and down bend the knees, and he begins to think and reflect. Can you say anything? Can you not say, God have mercy on me a sinner? Yes, he can do this, if he can rise up and curse his neighbour for some ill deeds. Now, John, open your mouth and say, Lord, have mercy upon me. “But I do not feel the spirit of prayer.” That does not excuse you, for you know what your duty is. You have a passion, a will, a temper to overcome. You are subject to temptation as other men; and when you are tempted, let the judgment which God has placed within you and the intelligence he has given you by the light of the Spirit be the master in this case.

If I could not master my mouth; I would my knees, and make them bend until my mouth would speak. “But the cattle are in the corn.” Let them eat; you can attend to them when you have finished praying. Let the will of the man be brought into subjection to the law of Christ—to all the ordinances of the house of God. What, in his darkness and depression? Yes; for that is the time to prove whether one is a friend of God, that the confidence of the Almighty may increase in his son. We should so live that our confidence and faith may increase in Him. We must even go further than that. Let us so live that the faith and confidence of our Heavenly Father may increase towards us, until He shall know that we will be true to Him under any and all circumstances and at all times. When in our darkness and temptation we are found faithful to our duty, that increases the confidence of our God in us. He sees that we will be his servants. To use a comparison, the sandbars are numerous over which the people of God have to pass, and I have not time now to notice them.

Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 7:164-65

to hear the voice of God (Hales)

“When we want to speak to God, we pray. And when we want Him to speak to us, we search 

the scriptures.” (Elder Hales, Ensign, Nov. 2006, 26-27)

there aren’t many things in a day that are totally without significance (Christofferson)

“In reality, there aren’t many things in a day that are totally without significance. Even the mundane and repetitious can be tiny but significant building blocks that in time establish the discipline and character and order needed to realize our plans and dreams. Therefore, as you ask in prayer for your daily bread, consider thoughtfully your needs—both what you may lack and what you must protect against. As you retire to bed, think about the successes and failures of the day and what will make the next day a little better. And thank your Heavenly Father for the manna He has placed along your path that sustained you through the day.”

—D. Todd Christofferson, “Recognizing God’s Hands in Our Daily Blessings“, Liahona and Ensign, January 2012

daily prayer and scripture study bring the Spirit of God into our homes (Matsumori)

“One reason we are encouraged to pray and read the scriptures every single day is that both of these activities invite the Spirit into our homes and into the lives of our family members.”

—Vicki F. Matsumori, “Helping Others Recognize the Whisperings of the Spirit“, Liahona and Ensign, November 2009

access to our Creator (Faust)

No earthly authority can separate us from direct access to our Creator. There can never be a mechanical or electronic failure when we pray. there is no limit on the number of times or how long we can pray each day. there is no quota of how many needs we wish to pray for in each prayer. We do not need to go through secretaries or make an appointment to reach the throne of grace. He is reachable at any time and any place.

President James E. Faust, Ensign, May 2002, 59

learn to ask (Scott)

“One of the great lessons that each of us needs to learn is to ask,” Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles says. “Why does the Lord want us to pray to Him and to ask? Because that is how revelation is received.”

Elder Scott testifies, “The scriptures give eloquent confirmation of how truth, consistently lived, opens the door to inspiration to know what to do and, where needed, to have personal capacities enhanced by divine power. The scriptures depict how an individual’s capacity to conquer difficulty, doubt, and seemingly insurmountable challenges is strengthened by the Lord in time of need. As you ponder such examples, there will come a quiet confirmation through the Holy Spirit that their experiences are true. You will come to know that similar help is available to you.”

And he notes that “I have seen individuals encountering challenges who knew what to do when it was beyond their own experience because they trusted in the Lord and knew that He would guide them to solutions that were urgently required.”

Elder Scott says, “Two indicators that a feeling or prompting comes from God are that it produces peace in your heart and a quiet, warm feeling. … The more closely you follow divine guidance, the greater will be your happiness here and for eternity—moreover, the more abundant your progress and capacity to serve. I do not understand fully how it is done, but that guidance in your life does not take away your agency. You can make the decisions you choose to make. But remember, the disposition to do right brings peace of mind and happiness.”

Elder Scott also cautions, “Communication with our Father in Heaven is not a trivial matter. It is a sacred privilege. It is based upon eternal, unchanging principles. We receive help from our Father in Heaven in response to our faith, obedience, and the proper use of agency.”

Elder Richard G. Scott

http://www.lds.org/study/prophets-speak-today/unto-all-the-world/guided-by-inspiration?lang=eng

Prayer (Talmage)

It is well to know that prayer is not compound of words, words that may fail to express what one desires to say, words that so often cloak inconsistencies, words that may have no deeper source that the physical organs of speech, words that may be spoken to impress mortal ears.  The dumb may pray, and that too with the eloquence that prevails in Heaven.  Prayer is made up of heart throbs and the righteous yearnings of the soul, of supplication based on the realization of need, of contrition and pure desire.  If there lives a man who has never really prayed, that man is a being apart from the order of divine human nature, a stranger in the family of God’s children.  Prayer is for the uplifting of the suppliant.  God without our prayers would be God; but we without prayer cannot be admitted to the Kingdom of God.

James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p. 238

pray and then go and do (President Thomas S. Monson)

“Whatever our calling, regardless of our fears or anxieties, let us pray and then go and do.” 

( “They Pray and They Go,” Ensign, May 2002, 51.) 

life and prayer (Gordon B. Hinckley)

If life gets too hard to stand, kneel.

Gordon B. Hinckley

The Importance of Prayer (Heber J. Grant)

“The minute a man stops supplicating God for His Spirit and direction, just so soon he starts out to become a stranger to Him and His works. When men stop praying for God’s Spirit, they place confidence in their own unaided reason, and they gradually lose the Spirit of God.”

( “Some Sentence Sermons,” Improvement Era, Aug. 1944, 481.)