Pray Anywhere, Anytime

When we pray are we reciting words or communicating with God, our Father in Heaven?

     In the Book of Mormon is a story of a group of people that lost the site of prayer. In Alma 31 the prophet Alma heads a mission to go preach to the Zoramites. The Zoramites are a group of people that  had the gospel preached to them but broke off from the Nephites and fell away from Christ teachings. Because of this they had fallen into great errors. One of these errors was the way they prayed and worshiped. As it says in Alma 31:12 they would gather themselves together one day a week and then worship in a way the astonished Alma and his brethren. One day a week they would climb a tower that they had built which was high above the head and only admitted one person at a time. This one person then would say as I paraphrase Alma 31:15 Holy God we believe you are God. You are a spirit and we believe that since we are so wonderful, terrific and magnificent you separated from our brethren and we will be saved and they won’t. There isn’t a Christ because I’m sure we don’t need one because we are so good. Yep we are awesome and we are the chosen ones.  Then after every one worshiped like that they would leave and go home and not think about praying or worshiping God at all till the next week.

     Could you just picture Alma’s jaw dropping open looking at his fellow missionaries and saying “SAY WHAT?” As it says in Alma 31: 24 Alma was grieved. He was grieved unto sorrow for this people. He prayed for comfort from the Lord as he and his fellow missionaries would preach unto this people and share the gospel with success.  Did they have any success?

     As Alma was preaching unto the people a large group of people came to him. These people were poor and were not allowed in the synagogues or on the tower to pray and worship. They asked Alma how can we pray? We are cast out of our places of worship. Alma lovingly turned around and taught them that they can pray anywhere and anytime. They don’t need a tower, they don’t need to be rich, and they can pray always.  God wants to hear from us every single day throughout the day. We can pray always and anywhere.

     In Alma 33 starting in verse 3 Alma asked the people if they remembered the prophet Zeno’s teaching on prayer. This is where is gets exciting as Alma teaches  3 Do ye remember to have read what Zenos, the prophetof old, has said concerning prayer or worship?

 4 For he said: Thou art merciful, O God, for thou hast heard my prayer, even when I was in the wilderness; yea,thou wast merciful when I prayed concerning 

those who were mine enemies, and thou didst turn them to me.

 5 Yea, O God, and thou wast merciful unto me when I did cry unto thee in my field; when I did cry unto thee in my prayer, and thou didst hear me.

 6 And again, O God, when I did turn to my house thou didst hear me in my prayer.

 7 And when I did turn unto my closet, O Lord, and prayed unto thee, thou didst hear me.

 8 Yea, thou art merciful unto thy children when they cry unto thee, to be heard of thee and not of men, and thou wilt hear them.

 9 Yea, O God, thou hast been merciful unto me, and heard my cries in the midst of thy congregations    

     These people were taught many things. In Alma 34 they again were taught about prayer by Amulek.

18 Yea, cry unto him for mercy; for he is mighty to save.

 19 Yea, humble yourselves, and continue in prayer unto him.

 20 Cry unto him when ye are in your fields, yea, over all your flocks.

 21 Cry unto him in your houses, yea, over all your household, both morning, mid-day, and evening.

 22 Yea, cry unto him against the power of your enemies.

 23 Yea, cry unto him against the devil, who is an enemy to all righteousness.

 24 Cry unto him over the crops of your fields, that ye may prosper in them.

 25 Cry over the flocks of your fields, that they may increase.

 26 But this is not all; ye must pour out your souls in your closets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness.

 27 Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of 
those who are around you.

     Did you read anything about needing a tower to pray upon? I didn’t. The prophets have taught that we can pray anywhere and over all those things that matter to us. Even pray for your enemies.  We don’t have a set of words to pray. We pray from our heart to a loving Heavenly Father who wants what is best for us. We can talk to him and importantly we can to listen to see what he has to say to us.

     I received a text with a precious picture in it of my almost 2 year old grandson this last week. He has been taught by goodly parents who love the Lord and our Heavenly Father about prayer. This precious child of God knows he can pray anywhere. He got the scriptures, climbed on the chair, folded his arms and bowed his head and started talking.  Sweet boy.