Learning to Pray

By Kufre Etim

I was raised in a family of 11, including my mom and dad. We were well disciplined and religious, but we often fell short of praying as a family.

When I was seven years old, my aunt took me into her home. There I was taught the gospel because she and her husband were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

One night I was invited to pray with them before we went to bed. At first, I was a bit offended because prayer was not part of my life, but I found it easy to pray with them. After the prayer, my uncle taught me how to pray and helped me to understand the importance of praying. He explained that prayer is communication with God and that a relationship with God is impossible without prayer. He taught me that God knows our needs, but we need to ask first.

Talking to my uncle really gave me the desire to learn how to pray. The first time I prayed, I learned that I am a child of God and that He cares about me and wants me to talk to Him always. After that, I knew that when I am looking for God, I must keep calling on Him, even if I am not sure how He will answer.

I know that when we pray to God, He will make Himself known to us. If He answered me, He can likewise answer you.

• Elder Kufre Etim is serving full-time in the Nigeria Uyo Mission.