One of the most basic commandments we have is to pray to Heavenly Father. But many things can get in the way of us praying. Nephi reminded the people of the importance of prayer and the blessings that come from regular communication with our Heavenly Father. This lesson can help you increase your desire to communicate with your Heavenly Father through prayer.
When do you pray?
Think of multiple ways you could accurately complete the following statement: I pray when …
If possible, watch the video “I Pray When …” (1:56) to see how some people completed the statement. The video is available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
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Take a moment to ponder how often you pray to Heavenly Father and why you pray. As you continue your study, ponder how Heavenly Father has blessed you because of your prayers, as well as any ways you feel He may want you to improve your communication with Him.
Nephi’s teachings on prayer
After Nephi taught his people to stay on the strait and narrow path leading to eternal life and to feast upon the words of Christ (see 2 Nephi 31:19–20; 32:1–3), he taught how they could know the truthfulness of His words.
What were some of the people of Nephi not willing to do?
Why do you think this would discourage Nephi?
Nephi then continued to teach about the importance of prayer.
Read 2 Nephi 32:8–9, looking for what Nephi taught about prayer.
What truths did you find?
Some of the truths Nephi taught include:
If we pray always, Heavenly Father will consecrate our effort for the welfare of our souls.
Heavenly Father wants us to pray.
Satan does not want us to pray.
We must pray always.
Communicating with Heavenly Father
What I want to remember
Reflect on what you learned today. Consider writing down what you would like to remember or do as a result. For example, you may want to increase how often you pray, strive to recognize how the Lord will bless you as you pray and act, or strive to overcome any temptations you feel not to pray.