God answers our prayers.

Have you ever wondered if God hears and answers all of our prayers? I know that I have. There have been many times that I have asked myself that. I mean God is so great and so powerful, why would He want to listen to a little man like me? Although I have asked myself those type of questions, I have never stopped praying. I have been taught since I was a little boy to pray. It seems as though God does not answer all of our prayers when we want them to be answered. God answers prayers is His own time and in His own way. But he does answer ALL of our prayers. 

God is the father of our Spirits. He wants to talk to us. He wants us to talk to Him. The only way we can talk to Him is through prayer. Just like our earthy fathers, God wants to know how we are doing. He wants to know our concerns that we might have. He wants to help us. God does know us already. He knows whats on our mind, heart and our feelings, but it is much better when we just tell Him. Have you ever known what someone wanted but you didn't give it to them until they asked? I have done that a few times. That's how God is as well. He has a room full of blessings for us, all we have to do is knock on the door and He will let us in. I know that to be true. I have had a lot of blessings come through prayer. Even a simple prayer to start the day goes a long way. He will guide us and protect us and He will show us the things that we should do.

Prayers don't need to be memorized either. In fact, they should be from the heart. One of my companions told me,  "Prayer should not be memorized. When you talk to your earthly dad, you don't give him a memorized talk or say the same thing to him. You tell him how you are. You talk with him. You tell your dad things that your doing and sometimes ask for help. That's how God is too, He wants us to speak from the heart" When we pray, we should address who we are talking to, (Dear Heavenly Father,) Thank Him for your blessings (family, friends, anything else you are grateful for,) and tell Him what's on our heart or our mind and ask Him for help. When your done talking to God, Close in the name of Jesus Christ. Now I don't know about you, but that does not sound that bad at all.

Not only should we pray by ourselves, but we should pray in our families. In 3rd Nephi chapter 18, our Savior, Jesus Christ, told us that we should pray in our families, "Pray in your families unto the Father, always in my name, that your wives and your children may be blessed." In my home we started doing nightly family prayer. It really brought us closer as a family. We were and still are being blessed for having family prayer. Family prayer is what our prophets want us to do, its what Jesus Christ wants us to do. Its what Heavenly Father wants us to do. So how about we listen to God and His Son and His servants and have family prayer?

I promise that God does answer everyone of our prayers. I know that because He has answered all of mine. I know that God lives and loves every single one of His children. He wants the best for us. He wants to hear our voices. Let us all turn to Him in prayer and strengthen our relationship with our Father who is in Heaven. He will answer us in His own time and in His own way.