Lesson 10: Prayer and Revelation
Come prepared to share your Favorite
Scripture on Prayer
1.Prayer is a sacred privilege and commandment that
allows us to communicate with a loving Heavenly Father. He hears and answers
our prayers. Those who diligently seek the Lord’s guidance can be blessed with
personal revelation. This lesson highlights what we can do to prepare our
hearts and our minds to receive answers to our prayers.
2. Boyd K. Packer, “The Candle
of the Lord,” Ensign, Jan. 1983; Richard G.
Scott, “How to
Obtain Revelation and Inspiration for Your Personal Life,” Ensign ,May
2012; David A. Bednar, “The Spirit
of Revelation,” Ensign, May 2011, 87–90.
3. 3 Nephi 14:7–11- While technology allows us to communicate with
nearly anyone we choose, why do we sometimes find it difficult to communicate
effectively with our Heavenly Father?
4. “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” (James E. Faust, Ensign, May
2002, 59).
5. 2 Nephi
32:8–9- What do you think it means to “pray always”? What does it
mean that the Lord will “consecrate” our efforts for the welfare of our soul
when you pray for His help?
6. 10:17–19
what these verses teach about revelation, including who is entitled to
revelation.
What do these verses teach about personal revelation?
7. “The spirit of revelation] is not restricted to the
presiding authorities of the Church; rather, it belongs to and should be
operative in the life of every man, woman, and child who reaches the age of
accountability and enters into sacred covenants. Sincere desire and worthiness
invite the spirit of revelation into our lives” (DABednar Ensign , May
2011).
8. 1 Nephi
15:1–3, 7–11- verse 11 is
an example of an “if-then” statement in the scriptures.
9. Alma 26:22
10. Jacob 4:6-
What Jacob’s people did, to invite revelation.
11. “When we want to speak to God, we pray. And when we
want Him to speak to us, we search the scriptures; for His words are spoken
through His prophets. He will then teach us as we listen to the promptings of
the Holy Spirit. “If you have not heard His voice speaking to you lately,
return with new eyes and new ears to the scriptures. They are our spiritual
lifeline” (RDHalesEnsign
Nov. 2006).
13. “The Spirit does not get our attention by shouting or
shaking us with a heavy hand. Rather it whispers. It caresses so gently that if
we are preoccupied we may not feel it at all. …“Occasionally it will press
just firmly enough for us to pay heed. But most of the time, if we do not heed
the gentle feeling, the Spirit will withdraw and wait until we come seeking and
listening and say in our manner and expression, like Samuel of ancient times,
‘Speak [Lord], for thy servant heareth.’ (1 Sam.
3:10.)” BK Packer, Ensign, Jan. 1983).
14. “His answers will seldom come while you are on your
knees praying, even when you may plead for an immediate response. Rather, He
will prompt you in quiet moments when the Spirit can most effectively touch
your mind and heart. Hence, you should find periods of quiet time to recognize
when you are being instructed and strengthened” (RGScott Ensign, May
2007).
15. 1 Nephi 18:1–3; 2 Nephi 28:30; Alma 12:9–11The Lord reveals truth to us according to how
diligently we give heed to His word. Revelation often comes to us line upon
line.)
16. “Most frequently, revelation comes in small
increments over time and is granted according to our desire, worthiness, and
preparation. Such communications from Heavenly Father gradually and gently
‘distil upon [our souls] as the dews from heaven’ (D&C
121:45). This pattern of revelation tends to be more common than
rare” (DABednar).
17. If any of us has been slow to hearken to the counsel
to pray always, there is no finer hour to begin than now. William Cowper
declared, ‘Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees’ (TSMonson,
Ensign , Nov. 2007, 61).
18. President
Hunter’s counsel reflected his testimony of the help that comes through prayer:
“I said to him,
‘My brother, if you will go home and pray for him every morning and every
night, I’ll meet you two weeks from today at this same time and then we will
decide what should be done.’”
After following
this counsel, the man returned and humbly said of the other man, “He needs some
help.” “Are you willing to help him?” President Hunter asked. “Yes, of course,”
the man said. “All the venom was gone and all the bitterness was gone,”
President Hunter later recalled. “This is the way it is when we pray for one
another.”
19. If prayer is
only a spasmodic cry at the time of crisis, then it is utterly selfish, and we
come to think of God as a repairman or a service agency to help us only in our
emergencies.
20. Developing
spirituality and attuning ourselves to the highest influences of godliness is
not an easy matter. It takes time and frequently involves a struggle. It will not
happen by chance, but is accomplished only through deliberate effort and by
calling upon God and keeping his commandments. …
The Prophet
Joseph Smith … the nearer man approaches perfection, the clearer are his views,
and the greater his enjoyments, till he has overcome the evils of his life and
lost every desire for sin; and like the ancients, arrives at that point of
faith where he is wrapped in the power and glory of his Maker, and is caught up
to dwell with Him. But we consider that this is a station to which no man ever
arrived in a moment”
21. None of us
has attained perfection or the zenith of spiritual growth that is possible in
mortality. Every person can and must make spiritual progress. The gospel of
Jesus Christ is the divine plan for that spiritual growth eternally. It is more
than a code of ethics. It is more than an ideal social order. It is more than
positive thinking about self-improvement and determination. The gospel is the
saving power of the Lord Jesus Christ with his priesthood and sustenance and
with the Holy Spirit. With faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and obedience to his
gospel, a step at a time improving as we go, pleading for strength, improving
our attitudes and our ambitions, we will find ourselves successfully in the
fold of the Good Shepherd. That will require discipline and training and
exertion and strength.
22. What I needed to know
about the promptings I found in the Book of Mormon. “Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost;
wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, … feast upon the words of
Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should
do.” Perhaps the single greatest thing I learned from reading the Book of
Mormon is that the voice of the Spirit comes as a feeling rather than a
sound. You will learn, as I have learned, to “listen” for that voice that is felt rather than heard. Nephi scolded his
older brothers, saying, “Ye have seen an angel, and he spake unto you; yea, ye
have heard his voice from time to time; and he hath spoken unto you in a still
small voice, but ye were past feeling, that ye could not feel his
words.” Some critics have said that
these verses are in error because you hear words; you do not feel them. But if
you know anything at all about spiritual communication, you know that the best
word to describe what takes place is the word feeling. The gift of the Holy Ghost, if you consent, will guide
and protect you and even correct your actions. It is a spiritual voice that
comes into the mind as a thought or a feeling put into your heart. The prophet
Enos said, “The voice of the Lord came into my mind.” And the Lord
told Oliver Cowdery, “Behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart,
by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you.” It is not expected that you go
through life without making mistakes, but you will not make a major mistake
without first being warned by the promptings of the Spirit. This promise
applies to all members of the Church. (BKPacker, Oct. 2011)
