Pray Always- February 8, 2015

Alice M gave the lesson using Ezra Taft Benson, Chapter 2: Pray Always

Prayer is how we communicate with our Heavenly Father  AND  whisperings of the spirit is how He communicates with us. 


Topical guide Prayer:
favorite scriptures shared by people
Jacob 3:1
Matthew 5:44 
Alma 37:37

We should give prayers of gratitude:

President Benson’s brethren in the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles also benefited from his prayerful nature. President Gordon B. Hinckley, who served as President Benson’s First Counselor in the First Presidency, said:

“I have knelt with him and heard him pray.
“His prayers were always interesting. Almost without exception, they consisted for the most part of expressions of thanks. He asked for very little. He expressed gratitude for very much.
“He thanked the Lord for life, for family, for the gospel, for faith, for sunlight and rain, the bounties of nature, and the freedom-loving instincts of man. He thanked the Lord for friends and associates. He expressed love for the Savior and gratitude for His atoning sacrifice. He thanked the Lord for the opportunity to serve the people.”^5 (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson, (2014), 46–57)

Pray for others. Teach our children to pray for others:

President Benson and his wife, Flora, established a home where everyone prayed, individually and together. Their son Mark observed: “When Dad knelt down to pray, he didn’t rush things. There was meaning behind his words. It came through loud and clear that he was communicating with our Father in heaven.”⁶President and Sister Benson taught their children to pray for personal guidance and strength and also to pray for one another. A friend of the family once observed the influence of those teachings when she attended a session of general conference with the Bensons. She wrote:

“On an April day … , I discovered one source of a General Authority’s strength.
“I was seated with the six children of Elder Ezra Taft Benson, one of whom was my college roommate. My interest heightened when President [David O.] McKay arose and announced the next speaker. I watched respectfully as Elder Benson, whom I had not yet met, walked toward the microphone. He was a big man, well over six feet tall. He was … a man internationally known as the United States Secretary of Agriculture and a special witness of the Lord, a man who seemed serene and sure, one who had addressed audiences throughout the world. Suddenly a hand touched my arm. A little girl leaned toward me and whispered urgently, ‘Pray for Dad.’
“Somewhat startled, I thought, ‘This message is being passed down the row, and I am to pass it on. Shall I say, “Pray for Elder Benson”? Shall I say, “You’re supposed to say a prayer for your father”?’ Sensing the immediate need to act, I leaned over and whispered simply, ‘Pray for Dad.’
“I watched that whisper move along the row to where Sister Benson sat, her head already bowed. …

5 ways to improve our communication with Heavenly Father

1. We should pray frequently.2. We should find an appropriate place where we can meditate and pray.3. We should prepare ourselves for prayer. 4. Our prayers should be meaningful and pertinent. 5. After making a request through prayer, we have a responsibility to assist in its being granted. 

Ezra Taft Benson Personal experience with prayer:

Out of personal experience, I know the efficacy and power of prayer. …
In 1946 I was assigned by President George Albert Smith to go to war-torn Europe and reestablish our missions from Norway to South Africa and to set up a program for the distribution of welfare supplies.
We established headquarters in London. We then made preliminary arrangements with the military on the continent. One of the first men I wished to see was the commander of the American forces in Europe. He was stationed in Frankfurt, Germany.
When we arrived in Frankfurt, my companion and I went in to seek an appointment with the general. The appointment officer said, “Gentlemen, there will be no opportunity for you to see the general for at least three days. He’s very busy and his calendar is filled up with appointments.”
I said, “It is very important that we see him, and we can’t wait that long. We’re due in Berlin tomorrow.”
He said, “I’m sorry.”
We left the building, went out to our car, removed our hats, and united in prayer. We then went back into the building and found a different officer at the appointment post. In less than fifteen minutes we were in the presence of the general. We had prayed that we would be able to see him and to touch his heart, knowing that all relief supplies contributed from any source were then required to be placed in the hands of the military for distribution. Our objective, as we explained it to the general, was to distribute our own supplies to our own people through our own channels, and also to make gifts for general child feeding.
We explained the welfare program and how it operated. Finally, he said, “Well, gentlemen, you go ahead and collect your supplies; and by the time you get them collected, the policy may be changed.” We said, “General, our supplies are already collected; they’re always collected. Within twenty-four hours from the time we wire the First Presidency of the Church in Salt Lake City, carloads of supplies will be rolling toward Germany. We have many storehouses filled with basic commodities.”
He then said, “I’ve never heard of a people with such vision.” His heart was touched as we had prayed it would be. Before we left his office, we had a written authorization to make our own distribution to our own people through our own channels. (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson, (2014), 46–57)