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A Year of Powerful Prayer
“Given the times in which we live, improving our prayers should be one of our deepest desires.” —Elder Neal A. Maxwell
Have you ever felt that your prayers don’t get past the ceiling— that God just doesn’t hear anything you pray for? Do you sometimes wonder what it takes to get the answers you need?
In A Year of Powerful Prayer, some of the most important and inspirational writings on the topic of prayer from Church leaders, gospel scholars, and other beloved writers have been gathered into 365 daily devotionals. Embark on a journey that will help to increase your understanding of prayer, help you recognize answers to prayers, and encourage you to utilize the power of prayer in a more meaningful way. Learn how to make your prayers more effective and strengthen your personal relationship with God. A Year of Powerful Prayer offers guidance, hope, and prophetic promises as you seek to discover how prayer can make a profound difference in your life.
Includes selections from Gordon B. Hinckley, James E. Faust, Joseph B. Wirthlin, Neal A. Maxwell, Gerald N. Lund, Truman G. Madsen, Patricia R. Holland, Bruce R. McConkie, Robert L. Millet, Virginia H. Pearce, and S. Michael Wilcox.
Have you ever felt that your prayers don’t get past the ceiling— that God just doesn’t hear anything you pray for? Do you sometimes wonder what it takes to get the answers you need?
In A Year of Powerful Prayer, some of the most important and inspirational writings on the topic of prayer from Church leaders, gospel scholars, and other beloved writers have been gathered into 365 daily devotionals. Embark on a journey that will help to increase your understanding of prayer, help you recognize answers to prayers, and encourage you to utilize the power of prayer in a more meaningful way. Learn how to make your prayers more effective and strengthen your personal relationship with God. A Year of Powerful Prayer offers guidance, hope, and prophetic promises as you seek to discover how prayer can make a profound difference in your life.
Includes selections from Gordon B. Hinckley, James E. Faust, Joseph B. Wirthlin, Neal A. Maxwell, Gerald N. Lund, Truman G. Madsen, Patricia R. Holland, Bruce R. McConkie, Robert L. Millet, Virginia H. Pearce, and S. Michael Wilcox.
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First published January 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 26, 2014
This is a beautiful and inspiring book full of quotes and teachings about the importance of meaningful, purposeful prayer.
Here are a few of my favorite quotes:
"God is anxiously waiting for the chance to answer your prayers and fulfill your dreams, just as He always has. But He can't if you don't pray, and He can't if you don't dream. In short, He can't if you don't believe" (Jeffrey R. Holland, p. 3).
"Prayer opens the door to peace in this life and eternal life in the world to come. Prayer is essential to salvation. Unless and until we make it a living part of us so that we speak to our Father and have his voice answer, by the power of his spirit, we are yet in our sins" (Bruce R. McConkie, p. 14).
"I'll bet they also have challenges, trials, and problems. And if these things matter to them, they must also matter to their perfect Father in Heaven, who delights to bless" (John Bytheway, p. 32).
"What a glorious thing it is to realize and to know that we can go to our Heavenly Father without appointment, pour out our souls to him in all simplicity and faith, knowing that he is there and can and will hear and answer our prayers" (N. Eldon Tanner, p. 34).
"There may be things that we are unworthy to do at times in our life, but there is one thing we are never unworthy to do, and that is pray....You go to the Lord regardless of the condition of your soul, and He will respond. He never closes the door against you" (Truman G. Madsen, p. 35).
"Yes, the greatest miracle of all communications is the power of prayer. It's a privilege God has given each of us to communicate directly with Him. And, because of His great love for us, He has set no limitation as to when, where, and what we should pray about. As the Apostle Paul wrote, 'In every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.'" Exercising our privilege to pray is an essential ingredient to finding joy and happiness in today's world" (Lloyd D. Newell, p. 43).
"To be in control of your life, to be a success regardless of your situation..., I recommend you come to know your Father in Heaven. Come to love Him. Always remember that He loves you and will give you guidance and support if you will but give Him the chance. Include Him in your decision making. Include Him in your heartaches and heartbreaks. Include Him when you take inventory of your personal worth....As you strive to become a quality person, commune daily with your Heavenly Father who knows you best of all. He knows your talents, your strengths, your weaknesses. You are here on the earth at this time to develop and refine these characteristics. I promise you He will help you. He is aware of your needs. He is aware of your unanswered prayers" (Marvin J. Ashton, p. 55).
"One day it hit me: Was it more important for me to check my email than to check in with my Heavenly Father?" (Carolyn J. Rasmus, p. 57)
"This sample prayer [the Lord's prayer] envisions appreciation, simplicity, and the avoidance of vain repetitions. Our prayers should simply be our soul's sincere desire" (Franklin D. Richards, p. 67).
"Although Jesus was incessantly pressed upon by multitudes and many times forced to go without food and sleep, in key moments he would find solitude and commune with his Father in preparation for more spiritual labor" (D. Kelly Ogden, p. 68).
"In Christ's instructions concerning how we are to pray, he indicates that our 'Father knoweth what things [we] have need of, before [we] ask him.' Why then do we pray at all? I believe it is because as we go through the process of using words to express ideas, we are forced to clarify our thinking and, in most instances, come to a new and clearer understanding" (Carolyn J. Rasmus, p. 72).
"Jesus was careful to place the petition 'Hallowed by thy name' at the very forefront of his prayer. Unless that reverent, prayerful, honorable attitude toward God is uppermost in our hearts, we are not fully prepared to pray. If our first thought is of ourselves and not of God, we are not praying as Jesus taught. It was his supreme hope that our Father's name and station would be kept beautiful and holy. Living always with an eye single to the glory of God, he urged men everywhere to so speak, and act, and live, that others seeing their good works might glorify their Father in heaven. The reverence of the Savior for our Father and the understanding of his love made the whole world hopeful and holy" (Howard W. Hunter, p. 73).
"Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other. The object of prayer is not to change the will of God, but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant, but that are made conditional on our asking for them. Blessings require some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them. Prayer is a form of work, and is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings" (Bible Dictionary, p. 76).
"Being united with heaven is what gladness is really all about. When this condition exists, regardless of the terrifying or stressful details of life, everything will ultimately be happy and fine" (Elaine Cannon, p. 77).
"Sincere prayer is the heart of a happy and productive life. Prayer strengthens faith. Prayer is the preparation for miracles. Prayer opens the door to eternal happiness" (H. Burke Peterson, p. 89).
"We should not expect to rush into the presence of Deity, mouth a few well-worn phrases, race away, and then feel satisfied with the marvelous spiritual experience we have just enjoyed. We prepare out of respect and love" (Robert L. Millet, p. 93).
"We don't persist in prayer to change God's mind. We persist in prayer to change our hearts" (Gerald N. Lund, p. 110).
"Ask him to put you just where he wants you, and to tell you what he wants you to do, and feel that you are on hand to do it" (Brigham Young, p. 117).
"Now there is a difference between saying a prayer and talking with God. There are a few whom I have heard pray who did talk with God...he seemed to be reaching right into the portals of our Father's holy dwelling place, and he talked with divine beings. Do not say prayers, do not read prayers, but learn to talk with God" (Harold B. Lee, p. 135).
"He doesn't want polite platitudes. He wants you! All of you! He wants to be the center of your total life--the worried you, the mad you, the sad you as well as the inspired, happy, obedient, loving you" (Chieko N. Okazaki, p. 138).
"I believe that many people are confident that the Lord's will will be done and that the Lord can do anything, but they're not confident that he will do it for them or that he wants to do it now. This lack of confidence in our ability to gain access to the powers of heaven is a major reason why more of our prayers aren't answered" (Gene R. Cook, p. 203).
"When the boy who had offered the prayer carried his kite into the kitchen, he told his mother about the kite's getting caught in the tree. She asked, 'Who helped you get the kite down?' 'Heavenly Father,' he replied. The boy, who had prayed with perfect trust, knew the answer to a prayer when he saw it" (Dwan J. Young, p. 205).
"Prayer should not be a one-sided experience in which we do all the talking and then walk away. We need to learn to listen--to take note of thoughts and impressions that come into our minds and of the feelings we experience. As we listen, He will speak to us, teach us, reassure us, and bless us" (Carolyn J. Rasmus, p. 237).
"Our task is to come to that point in our progress where our very desires are right in the sight of God. When we arrive at that point, we will have the 'mind of Christ.' From those with the 'mind of Christ' will come perfect prayers" (Neal A. Maxwell, p. 245).
"As we make prayer one of the central parts of our day, God will let us know, feel, and understand things about ourselves. Each day he will strengthen us....Many spiritual insights come when a person takes time in meaningful daily prayer" (Diane Bills Prince, p. 245).
"You also have an unlimited number of prayers to offer during this season. You can pray for the people in the hospital as you drive by. You can pray for the policeman directing traffic after the basketball game. You can pray for the person you see on the news whose face and plight touch you, even if you see her face only in a crowd. You can pray for the clerk at the shoe store, for the Salvation Army bell ringer, for the grandchild in Florida, for the president of the United States, for the person standing in the detergent aisle trying to make up her mind what soap to buy. And this doesn't even begin to touch the hundreds of people you know personally for whom you can pray. Thank of the power of that prayer. It's as if you lift someone with loving hands and hold him or her up in remembrance before God" (Chieko N. Okazaki, p. 277).
"Just moments before I stood to speak, an unexpected image came to mind. It was a group of sisters in Montreal, Canada, where I had visited a few weeks earlier. They had promised to pray for me at this meeting, and I knew they were keeping their promise, for a feeling of total and immediate calm washed over me" (Sheri Dew, p. 279).
"How many of us sometimes try to resolve life's challenges ourselves, without seeking the intervention of the Lord in our lives? We try to carry the burden alone. How many times, likewise, as we have prayed for assistance or help with our problems, have we severed ourselves from the power of God because of doubt or fear and thus could not obtain the blessings he would give us?" (Gene R. Cook, p. 289).
"It is both possible and likely that the closer we come to Christ, the more we will be aware of what we yet need to do....So if we are becoming more aware of our weaknesses, that doesn't mean we are drifting away from Him, it may well mean that we are drawing closer" (Bruce C. Hafen, p. 302).
"If we are serious about our discipleship, Jesus will eventually request each of us to do those very things which are the most difficult for us to do. Sometimes the best people have the worst experiences because they are the most ready to learn" (Neal A. Maxwell, p. 302).
"How many times have we impatiently expressed our discontent with seemingly ordinary and routine circumstances that were divinely designed, shaping circumstances for which, later on, we were very grateful?....How many times, naively and ungraciously, have we vigorously protested while on our way to a blessing?" (Neal A Maxwell, p. 311)
"As the scriptures and our life experiences reveal, sometimes the Lord does not intervene. Sometimes the seagulls don't come, the mysterious envelope containing 'just enough' doesn't arrive, and the sick are not healed. Then what?....Our hope is that the Lord will intervene in our lives, but if not, we will discover whether our faith is real, or only something we hold onto when it appears to be working for our benefit" (John Bytheway, p. 319).
"The business of getting acquainted with Him--life's main business--is very time-consuming. From the moment of birth to the moment of death, it is one business worth spending our lives on. And it is this business that helps us understand why we have to wait for answers to our prayers....The longer we wait, the more ready we are for the best possible answer. And the more ready we are, the more determined He will be do grant an answer that will surpass our greatest hopes. That is not just a fact about prayer and answers. It is a fact about Him. Knowing this can keep our hopes bright during the long wait. Remember what Joseph Smith declared, 'Since the beginning of the world have not mean heard nor perceived by the ear, neither hath any eye seen, O God, besides thee, how great things thou hast prepared for him that waiteth for thee' (D&C 133:45). Not only is the long wait worth it, but it makes a difference. By the time the answer finally comes, we have matured in patience. Oh, how patient our Father is. And oh, how vital it is that we become patient, too" (Wayne E. Brickey, p. 325).
"When our minds have been illuminated to see as God sees, it becomes a joy to accept his will. At a time when my oldest son was still single and wanting so much to be married, I was anxiously pleading with the Lord to bless him. My request was very specific; I knew what my son needed. As I was pleading (with an eye fixed on my needs and my anxieties), asking the Lord to please bless him, the words came resounding into my mind, 'I am blessing him. Be patient with my plan.' I was stunned--moved to tears. I realized I had been commanding heaven, saying, 'Lord, here is your work as I have outlined it. Please notify me when you have bestowed my blessings, pursued my plans, and carried out my will.' In sweet reply comes the mild rebuke, 'If you don't mind, Patricia, I prefer to bestow my blessings and to do it in my way.' When we can feel sure that God has not forgotten us--nor will he ever--and that he is blessing us in his own way, then we world seems a better, safer place. If we can be patient with his process--which simply means having faith--if we can commune personally and often with him, we can spare ourselves the emptiness and frenzy we feel if we are 'conformed to the world': fainthearted, impatient, troubled by envy or greed or pride of a thousand kinds. We can keep our minds fixed enough on eternity to remember that God's ways are not our ways" (Patricia T. Holland, p. 327).
"Why didn't my Father in Heaven give me that answer at fifteen, or twenty-one, or twenty-five, or when I was married, or when my daughters were born? He needed to wait until I was a father of sons and had enough experiences with my boys to understand what a sweet thing it is to be a father and share memories with sons. The holding place had to be carved in my heart, and as soon as I could really receive and comprehend the answer, the Lord gave it to me" (S. Michael Wilcox, p. 336).
"May I suggest that when you pray for something very special, you pray for two things. First, pray for the blessing that you want, whether it's a new baby, or a job, or whatever; and second, ask the Lord for the blessing of understanding. Then, if it feels for some reason that the blessing isn't appropriate for that time, the blessing of understanding will come--and the frustration that ofttimes come because we feel our prayers are not answered will blow away in the wind" (H. Burke Peterson, p. 337).
"Sometimes the Lord in our lives says, 'No, not this way.' Far too often our response is, 'Well, then, which way?' but he doesn't always specify it. Then we try another way. 'No, not this way,' comes the answer. Eventually we receive the vision and know where we're supposed to go, but there is some trial and error involved in the process. We must be patient. The Lord knows what he is doing" (S. Michael Wilcox, p. 339).
"Sometimes we pound on the vault door for something we want very much, in faith, in reasonable righteousness, and wonder why the door does not open. We would be very spoiled children if that vault door opened any more easily than it does now. I can tell, looking back, that God truly loves me by the petitions that, in his perfect wisdom and love, he has refused to grant me. Our rejected petitions tell us not only much about ourselves, but also much about our flawless Father" (Neal A. Maxwell, p. 339).
"I will never forget, as long as I live, the impression my mother gave me when she told the story of those two thousand sons who went to battle under the leadership of Helaman. Think of those boys. Hold them as a pattern, you priests, teachers, and deacons, yes, and high priests, seventies, and elders. If two thousand men in that ancient time could live such lives, two thousand, nay ten thousand and a hundred thousand, men can live it today. These were their principles, founded upon principles of faith, inculcated into their hearts by their mothers, who taught them in their youth that if they prayed to God nothing doubting, their prayers would be answered" (David O. McKay, p. 346).
"Family prayer in our homes will draw the family closer together and result in better feelings between father and mother, between parents and children, and between one child and another. If children pray for their parents, it makes them more appreciative of their parents, and as they pray for one another, they feel closer to one another and part of each other, especially as they realize that they are talking to their Father in heaven while on their knees in family or secret prayer. Then is when we forget our differences and think of the best in others, and pray for their well-being and for strength to overcome our own weaknesses. There is no double that we are better people when we try to tune in to the spirit of our Father in heaven so that we might communicate with him and express our desire to do his will as we pray for his blessings" (N. Eldon Tanner, p. 349).
"Don't start the day without family prayer; don't get so careless that you forget to kneel together before you retire. There may have been some rough edges through the day and a good way to smooth them out is by kneeling together in prayer. Don't neglect to have your little ones taught early to have family prayer" (Harold B. Lee, p. 358).
"Children whose Church experience includes private religious behavior are much more likely one day to go on a mission and marry in the temple than are children who engage only in public religious behavior. Private religious behavior includes such practices as personal scripture study and prayer--which establish a real relationship with God, the source of true, internalized testimony. Young people who experience only public religious behavior--such as Church attendance, social participation, or other public activity--are far less likely to develop the internal motivation that will carry them to the temple. Why is that? The short answer is that just sitting in church won't turn you into a Saint any more than sitting in a garage will turn you into a car" (Bruce C. Hafen, p. 359).
"If we want the best results for our day, we need to start by praying. And one of the things I pray for often is 'that heaven will show [me] the joys of today.' What I like to do is pray to be able to see things the way Heavenly Father sees them. I think He sees the joys of today, every day. Wouldn't it be great to have that perspective?" (Emily Watts, p. 385).
"Part of the sacrifice of a broken heart and contrite spirit is a willingness to sacrifice the love affair so many of us have with our own egos....But when we place our confidence in God rather than in ourselves, our need for self-esteem takes care of itself--not because of our manipulation of successful experiences but because our fundamental attitude allows us access to the only trustworthy source for knowing that the course of life we pursue is know to and accepted by God" (Bruce C. Hafen, p. 401).
"Prayer unlocks the powers of heaven in our behalf. Prayer is the great gift which our Eternal Father has given us by which we may approach Him and speak with Him in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Be prayerful. You cannot make it alone. You cannot reach your potential alone. You need the help of the Lord" (Gordon B. Hinckley, p. 409).
Here are a few of my favorite quotes:
"God is anxiously waiting for the chance to answer your prayers and fulfill your dreams, just as He always has. But He can't if you don't pray, and He can't if you don't dream. In short, He can't if you don't believe" (Jeffrey R. Holland, p. 3).
"Prayer opens the door to peace in this life and eternal life in the world to come. Prayer is essential to salvation. Unless and until we make it a living part of us so that we speak to our Father and have his voice answer, by the power of his spirit, we are yet in our sins" (Bruce R. McConkie, p. 14).
"I'll bet they also have challenges, trials, and problems. And if these things matter to them, they must also matter to their perfect Father in Heaven, who delights to bless" (John Bytheway, p. 32).
"What a glorious thing it is to realize and to know that we can go to our Heavenly Father without appointment, pour out our souls to him in all simplicity and faith, knowing that he is there and can and will hear and answer our prayers" (N. Eldon Tanner, p. 34).
"There may be things that we are unworthy to do at times in our life, but there is one thing we are never unworthy to do, and that is pray....You go to the Lord regardless of the condition of your soul, and He will respond. He never closes the door against you" (Truman G. Madsen, p. 35).
"Yes, the greatest miracle of all communications is the power of prayer. It's a privilege God has given each of us to communicate directly with Him. And, because of His great love for us, He has set no limitation as to when, where, and what we should pray about. As the Apostle Paul wrote, 'In every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.'" Exercising our privilege to pray is an essential ingredient to finding joy and happiness in today's world" (Lloyd D. Newell, p. 43).
"To be in control of your life, to be a success regardless of your situation..., I recommend you come to know your Father in Heaven. Come to love Him. Always remember that He loves you and will give you guidance and support if you will but give Him the chance. Include Him in your decision making. Include Him in your heartaches and heartbreaks. Include Him when you take inventory of your personal worth....As you strive to become a quality person, commune daily with your Heavenly Father who knows you best of all. He knows your talents, your strengths, your weaknesses. You are here on the earth at this time to develop and refine these characteristics. I promise you He will help you. He is aware of your needs. He is aware of your unanswered prayers" (Marvin J. Ashton, p. 55).
"One day it hit me: Was it more important for me to check my email than to check in with my Heavenly Father?" (Carolyn J. Rasmus, p. 57)
"This sample prayer [the Lord's prayer] envisions appreciation, simplicity, and the avoidance of vain repetitions. Our prayers should simply be our soul's sincere desire" (Franklin D. Richards, p. 67).
"Although Jesus was incessantly pressed upon by multitudes and many times forced to go without food and sleep, in key moments he would find solitude and commune with his Father in preparation for more spiritual labor" (D. Kelly Ogden, p. 68).
"In Christ's instructions concerning how we are to pray, he indicates that our 'Father knoweth what things [we] have need of, before [we] ask him.' Why then do we pray at all? I believe it is because as we go through the process of using words to express ideas, we are forced to clarify our thinking and, in most instances, come to a new and clearer understanding" (Carolyn J. Rasmus, p. 72).
"Jesus was careful to place the petition 'Hallowed by thy name' at the very forefront of his prayer. Unless that reverent, prayerful, honorable attitude toward God is uppermost in our hearts, we are not fully prepared to pray. If our first thought is of ourselves and not of God, we are not praying as Jesus taught. It was his supreme hope that our Father's name and station would be kept beautiful and holy. Living always with an eye single to the glory of God, he urged men everywhere to so speak, and act, and live, that others seeing their good works might glorify their Father in heaven. The reverence of the Savior for our Father and the understanding of his love made the whole world hopeful and holy" (Howard W. Hunter, p. 73).
"Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other. The object of prayer is not to change the will of God, but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant, but that are made conditional on our asking for them. Blessings require some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them. Prayer is a form of work, and is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings" (Bible Dictionary, p. 76).
"Being united with heaven is what gladness is really all about. When this condition exists, regardless of the terrifying or stressful details of life, everything will ultimately be happy and fine" (Elaine Cannon, p. 77).
"Sincere prayer is the heart of a happy and productive life. Prayer strengthens faith. Prayer is the preparation for miracles. Prayer opens the door to eternal happiness" (H. Burke Peterson, p. 89).
"We should not expect to rush into the presence of Deity, mouth a few well-worn phrases, race away, and then feel satisfied with the marvelous spiritual experience we have just enjoyed. We prepare out of respect and love" (Robert L. Millet, p. 93).
"We don't persist in prayer to change God's mind. We persist in prayer to change our hearts" (Gerald N. Lund, p. 110).
"Ask him to put you just where he wants you, and to tell you what he wants you to do, and feel that you are on hand to do it" (Brigham Young, p. 117).
"Now there is a difference between saying a prayer and talking with God. There are a few whom I have heard pray who did talk with God...he seemed to be reaching right into the portals of our Father's holy dwelling place, and he talked with divine beings. Do not say prayers, do not read prayers, but learn to talk with God" (Harold B. Lee, p. 135).
"He doesn't want polite platitudes. He wants you! All of you! He wants to be the center of your total life--the worried you, the mad you, the sad you as well as the inspired, happy, obedient, loving you" (Chieko N. Okazaki, p. 138).
"I believe that many people are confident that the Lord's will will be done and that the Lord can do anything, but they're not confident that he will do it for them or that he wants to do it now. This lack of confidence in our ability to gain access to the powers of heaven is a major reason why more of our prayers aren't answered" (Gene R. Cook, p. 203).
"When the boy who had offered the prayer carried his kite into the kitchen, he told his mother about the kite's getting caught in the tree. She asked, 'Who helped you get the kite down?' 'Heavenly Father,' he replied. The boy, who had prayed with perfect trust, knew the answer to a prayer when he saw it" (Dwan J. Young, p. 205).
"Prayer should not be a one-sided experience in which we do all the talking and then walk away. We need to learn to listen--to take note of thoughts and impressions that come into our minds and of the feelings we experience. As we listen, He will speak to us, teach us, reassure us, and bless us" (Carolyn J. Rasmus, p. 237).
"Our task is to come to that point in our progress where our very desires are right in the sight of God. When we arrive at that point, we will have the 'mind of Christ.' From those with the 'mind of Christ' will come perfect prayers" (Neal A. Maxwell, p. 245).
"As we make prayer one of the central parts of our day, God will let us know, feel, and understand things about ourselves. Each day he will strengthen us....Many spiritual insights come when a person takes time in meaningful daily prayer" (Diane Bills Prince, p. 245).
"You also have an unlimited number of prayers to offer during this season. You can pray for the people in the hospital as you drive by. You can pray for the policeman directing traffic after the basketball game. You can pray for the person you see on the news whose face and plight touch you, even if you see her face only in a crowd. You can pray for the clerk at the shoe store, for the Salvation Army bell ringer, for the grandchild in Florida, for the president of the United States, for the person standing in the detergent aisle trying to make up her mind what soap to buy. And this doesn't even begin to touch the hundreds of people you know personally for whom you can pray. Thank of the power of that prayer. It's as if you lift someone with loving hands and hold him or her up in remembrance before God" (Chieko N. Okazaki, p. 277).
"Just moments before I stood to speak, an unexpected image came to mind. It was a group of sisters in Montreal, Canada, where I had visited a few weeks earlier. They had promised to pray for me at this meeting, and I knew they were keeping their promise, for a feeling of total and immediate calm washed over me" (Sheri Dew, p. 279).
"How many of us sometimes try to resolve life's challenges ourselves, without seeking the intervention of the Lord in our lives? We try to carry the burden alone. How many times, likewise, as we have prayed for assistance or help with our problems, have we severed ourselves from the power of God because of doubt or fear and thus could not obtain the blessings he would give us?" (Gene R. Cook, p. 289).
"It is both possible and likely that the closer we come to Christ, the more we will be aware of what we yet need to do....So if we are becoming more aware of our weaknesses, that doesn't mean we are drifting away from Him, it may well mean that we are drawing closer" (Bruce C. Hafen, p. 302).
"If we are serious about our discipleship, Jesus will eventually request each of us to do those very things which are the most difficult for us to do. Sometimes the best people have the worst experiences because they are the most ready to learn" (Neal A. Maxwell, p. 302).
"How many times have we impatiently expressed our discontent with seemingly ordinary and routine circumstances that were divinely designed, shaping circumstances for which, later on, we were very grateful?....How many times, naively and ungraciously, have we vigorously protested while on our way to a blessing?" (Neal A Maxwell, p. 311)
"As the scriptures and our life experiences reveal, sometimes the Lord does not intervene. Sometimes the seagulls don't come, the mysterious envelope containing 'just enough' doesn't arrive, and the sick are not healed. Then what?....Our hope is that the Lord will intervene in our lives, but if not, we will discover whether our faith is real, or only something we hold onto when it appears to be working for our benefit" (John Bytheway, p. 319).
"The business of getting acquainted with Him--life's main business--is very time-consuming. From the moment of birth to the moment of death, it is one business worth spending our lives on. And it is this business that helps us understand why we have to wait for answers to our prayers....The longer we wait, the more ready we are for the best possible answer. And the more ready we are, the more determined He will be do grant an answer that will surpass our greatest hopes. That is not just a fact about prayer and answers. It is a fact about Him. Knowing this can keep our hopes bright during the long wait. Remember what Joseph Smith declared, 'Since the beginning of the world have not mean heard nor perceived by the ear, neither hath any eye seen, O God, besides thee, how great things thou hast prepared for him that waiteth for thee' (D&C 133:45). Not only is the long wait worth it, but it makes a difference. By the time the answer finally comes, we have matured in patience. Oh, how patient our Father is. And oh, how vital it is that we become patient, too" (Wayne E. Brickey, p. 325).
"When our minds have been illuminated to see as God sees, it becomes a joy to accept his will. At a time when my oldest son was still single and wanting so much to be married, I was anxiously pleading with the Lord to bless him. My request was very specific; I knew what my son needed. As I was pleading (with an eye fixed on my needs and my anxieties), asking the Lord to please bless him, the words came resounding into my mind, 'I am blessing him. Be patient with my plan.' I was stunned--moved to tears. I realized I had been commanding heaven, saying, 'Lord, here is your work as I have outlined it. Please notify me when you have bestowed my blessings, pursued my plans, and carried out my will.' In sweet reply comes the mild rebuke, 'If you don't mind, Patricia, I prefer to bestow my blessings and to do it in my way.' When we can feel sure that God has not forgotten us--nor will he ever--and that he is blessing us in his own way, then we world seems a better, safer place. If we can be patient with his process--which simply means having faith--if we can commune personally and often with him, we can spare ourselves the emptiness and frenzy we feel if we are 'conformed to the world': fainthearted, impatient, troubled by envy or greed or pride of a thousand kinds. We can keep our minds fixed enough on eternity to remember that God's ways are not our ways" (Patricia T. Holland, p. 327).
"Why didn't my Father in Heaven give me that answer at fifteen, or twenty-one, or twenty-five, or when I was married, or when my daughters were born? He needed to wait until I was a father of sons and had enough experiences with my boys to understand what a sweet thing it is to be a father and share memories with sons. The holding place had to be carved in my heart, and as soon as I could really receive and comprehend the answer, the Lord gave it to me" (S. Michael Wilcox, p. 336).
"May I suggest that when you pray for something very special, you pray for two things. First, pray for the blessing that you want, whether it's a new baby, or a job, or whatever; and second, ask the Lord for the blessing of understanding. Then, if it feels for some reason that the blessing isn't appropriate for that time, the blessing of understanding will come--and the frustration that ofttimes come because we feel our prayers are not answered will blow away in the wind" (H. Burke Peterson, p. 337).
"Sometimes the Lord in our lives says, 'No, not this way.' Far too often our response is, 'Well, then, which way?' but he doesn't always specify it. Then we try another way. 'No, not this way,' comes the answer. Eventually we receive the vision and know where we're supposed to go, but there is some trial and error involved in the process. We must be patient. The Lord knows what he is doing" (S. Michael Wilcox, p. 339).
"Sometimes we pound on the vault door for something we want very much, in faith, in reasonable righteousness, and wonder why the door does not open. We would be very spoiled children if that vault door opened any more easily than it does now. I can tell, looking back, that God truly loves me by the petitions that, in his perfect wisdom and love, he has refused to grant me. Our rejected petitions tell us not only much about ourselves, but also much about our flawless Father" (Neal A. Maxwell, p. 339).
"I will never forget, as long as I live, the impression my mother gave me when she told the story of those two thousand sons who went to battle under the leadership of Helaman. Think of those boys. Hold them as a pattern, you priests, teachers, and deacons, yes, and high priests, seventies, and elders. If two thousand men in that ancient time could live such lives, two thousand, nay ten thousand and a hundred thousand, men can live it today. These were their principles, founded upon principles of faith, inculcated into their hearts by their mothers, who taught them in their youth that if they prayed to God nothing doubting, their prayers would be answered" (David O. McKay, p. 346).
"Family prayer in our homes will draw the family closer together and result in better feelings between father and mother, between parents and children, and between one child and another. If children pray for their parents, it makes them more appreciative of their parents, and as they pray for one another, they feel closer to one another and part of each other, especially as they realize that they are talking to their Father in heaven while on their knees in family or secret prayer. Then is when we forget our differences and think of the best in others, and pray for their well-being and for strength to overcome our own weaknesses. There is no double that we are better people when we try to tune in to the spirit of our Father in heaven so that we might communicate with him and express our desire to do his will as we pray for his blessings" (N. Eldon Tanner, p. 349).
"Don't start the day without family prayer; don't get so careless that you forget to kneel together before you retire. There may have been some rough edges through the day and a good way to smooth them out is by kneeling together in prayer. Don't neglect to have your little ones taught early to have family prayer" (Harold B. Lee, p. 358).
"Children whose Church experience includes private religious behavior are much more likely one day to go on a mission and marry in the temple than are children who engage only in public religious behavior. Private religious behavior includes such practices as personal scripture study and prayer--which establish a real relationship with God, the source of true, internalized testimony. Young people who experience only public religious behavior--such as Church attendance, social participation, or other public activity--are far less likely to develop the internal motivation that will carry them to the temple. Why is that? The short answer is that just sitting in church won't turn you into a Saint any more than sitting in a garage will turn you into a car" (Bruce C. Hafen, p. 359).
"If we want the best results for our day, we need to start by praying. And one of the things I pray for often is 'that heaven will show [me] the joys of today.' What I like to do is pray to be able to see things the way Heavenly Father sees them. I think He sees the joys of today, every day. Wouldn't it be great to have that perspective?" (Emily Watts, p. 385).
"Part of the sacrifice of a broken heart and contrite spirit is a willingness to sacrifice the love affair so many of us have with our own egos....But when we place our confidence in God rather than in ourselves, our need for self-esteem takes care of itself--not because of our manipulation of successful experiences but because our fundamental attitude allows us access to the only trustworthy source for knowing that the course of life we pursue is know to and accepted by God" (Bruce C. Hafen, p. 401).
"Prayer unlocks the powers of heaven in our behalf. Prayer is the great gift which our Eternal Father has given us by which we may approach Him and speak with Him in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Be prayerful. You cannot make it alone. You cannot reach your potential alone. You need the help of the Lord" (Gordon B. Hinckley, p. 409).
August 27, 2013
I adore this book! It has given me so many wonderful aspects to praying, as well as new perspectives on prayer. This was a long quote or story for every day of the year. I started reading one a night before bedtime, but the last little while I read 2 a day, so I'm finished before the end of the year. I will definitely return to this book again and again to refresh my memory on how to draw close to my Heavenly Father. I am so dependent of Him in my everyday decisions and life in general; I'm thankful to ponder and talk to Him and receive His guidance and love in my life. This book helped me to do that.
January 1, 2026
If I could give this book 10 stars, I would.
This really changed my year.
This really changed my year.
January 31, 2013
The back of this book says:
"Given the times in which we live, improving our prayers should be one of our deepest desires." ~ Neal A. Maxwell
And it is SO TRUE!
This book is a compilation of many authors and will give you great insight into prayer, why we need to pray, what to pray for, and how to understand the answers you are getting from prayer.
The book is divided into sections and is meant to be a year-long study of prayer.
I wanted to get a really good overview of the book so I read it quickly and learned SO MUCH.
But if you really took the year to study daily from its pages it would be so POWERFUL!
"Given the times in which we live, improving our prayers should be one of our deepest desires." ~ Neal A. Maxwell
And it is SO TRUE!
This book is a compilation of many authors and will give you great insight into prayer, why we need to pray, what to pray for, and how to understand the answers you are getting from prayer.
The book is divided into sections and is meant to be a year-long study of prayer.
I wanted to get a really good overview of the book so I read it quickly and learned SO MUCH.
But if you really took the year to study daily from its pages it would be so POWERFUL!
November 17, 2013
I bought this book for my wife as I thought she would like it. Well, she didn't like the book, she loved it.
So I started reading it. Usually I don't like these "read daily" type of books, but I also loved the book.
The book was easy to read and friendly. And, to me at least, surprisingly deep in its doctrine. It deserves its top rating.
So I started reading it. Usually I don't like these "read daily" type of books, but I also loved the book.
The book was easy to read and friendly. And, to me at least, surprisingly deep in its doctrine. It deserves its top rating.
February 8, 2013
A fantastic book that will improve your prayers and make you happy with your communication with God. :-)
March 13, 2014
A great book full of quotes and suggestions about prayer.
December 3, 2013
LOve all the insight it gave me into how to pray, listening for answers...I learned a lot about prayer that I did not know. Powerful...
January 7, 2015
Such a great way to start each day! It really helped me to focus on prayer each morning as I read the short quote or story.
May 29, 2015
Loved the daily thoughts. I'm keeping it by my nightstand to continually peak at it, especially on days that I could use a great spiritual thought!
May 31, 2017
Fantastic and inspiring! Spend a year with this on your bedside table!
December 31, 2021
This has some great thoughts from Church leaders and scholars about prayer. Really nice read.
November 23, 2022
A great early morning devotional. Lots of quotes from church leaders.
January 27, 2014
This book gives you one quote or talk excerpt about prayer to read each day for a year. It's basically a collection of research and doesn't necessarily motivate one to act and have powerful prayer like the title implies. I found it interesting but a little disappointing and did not make it through to the end. Perhaps if I made a more concerted effort to study the quotes and try to apply them daily and go slowly for an entire year, it would be more beneficial, but I am not sure it is more than a calendar of inspiration.
August 21, 2013
This is a take it slow kind of book. It is organized so as to have one reading a day for a year. But since it was a library book, I read it much quicker! I was inspired by the quotes in this book and would like to read it again, only more slowly with time to ponder it.
June 3, 2015
A birthday gift from my kind neighbors. I enjoyed reading a page each evening and there are some real gems in here, but most of the quotes seemed to be taken from the same handful of talks by the same people. Give me variety or give me death!
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