What exactly is prayer?

Similar to a telephone, prayer is a means of communication. A telephone allows you to speak with somebody that you can't see. The more you call this certain person, the more you get to know them and the stronger your relationship with them becomes. It works the same way with prayer, Your loving heavenly father knows you personally and completely and he wants to hear from you. If you pray to your heavenly father regularly, you will find out more about him and through that you will feel his love for you.

We are all children of God. Our father in heaven loves us and knows what we need. He wants us to communicate with him through prayer. We should only pray to him and not to anybody else. When we make it a habit to turn to God in prayer, we will come closer to him, and we will receive the blessings that he wants to give us.

The Lord is always ready to hear and to answer our prayers, it is only up to us, if we want to reach out to him.

How Do You Pray?

Prayer is a personal conversation between you and Heavenly father. He wants to hear from you and he wants us to be open with him. You should try our best to avoid saying the same things over and over, because you want to have a genuine conversation with him. Before you pray, take time to ponder and to prepare yourself. You can thank him for the blessings you have and and according to what you need, ask him for help, protection or guidance. After you have prayed, take time to ponder about the feelings and thoughts you have recieved.

When you pray, you should be fully and completely concentrated on giving your father in heaven reverence and respect. That can mean, kneeling down, bowing your head, folding your arms and simply closing your eyes. When you do this, you show God that you are humbling yourself before him.

Every situation is unique, that's why the way our prayers look can vary. Maybe you kneel next to your bed at night, or bow your head before you bless a meal. Maybe you say a silent prayer in your heart before you drive home from work, that's great! All that really matters is that you talk to God in the way that feels the most comfortable to you.

Does God Answer Prayers?

The answer is, YES! God promises: When you pray, you will receive answers and guidance from him. God is our father. We are his children. That's why he answers us.

When you pray faithfully, sincerely and with real intent, you will see God in your life. You will notice how God leads you and helps you to make good decisions throughout your day. God will bless you with comfort and peace. He will warn you of danger. He will strengthen you so you can resist temptations. He will forgive you of your sins. In the process of recognizing these feelings, you will learn how to hear the small quiet voice of the spirit.

Who Do I Pray To?

Jesus Christ taught us, "pray to the father in His name." We can only pray through the name of Jesus Christ to the Father, because Jesus Christ is our Savior. You can speak to the Father through His son, by addressing the Heavenly Father first and then closing your prayer "in the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

When we pray, we strengthen our relationship with our Father in heaven and also with Jesus Christ. Your Father in heaven has a plan for you, and that is called, the Plan of Salvation. When you pray with real intent, you will see His hand in your life, and begin to understand the plan that He has for you.

It is important to know that even though Jesus Christ died for our sins, we don't pray to Him. Jesus has instructed us to pray to the Father in His name. When we do that we will come closer to our Father in heaven, as well as Jesus Christ.

How Can I Receive Answers?

Answers come in various forms. While you come to know the Holy Ghost, you will have uplifting thoughts and promptings come to mind. You will be enlightened, which means you receive new knowledge. In your heart, you will feel peace, joy, and love. Such feelings are difficult to describe, but when you have them, you will know. Here are a couple of examples of how some of these answers could look like:

To switch on a light in a dark room is comparable to a person understanding a message from God very fast and completely, all at once. We find portrayals of such sudden and intense manifestations in the scriptures or reported in the history of the church, and even in our lives. Yes, these powerful miracles actually occur, however, this  pattern is rarer than it is common.

Like the light gradually grows during sunrise, so is it also when someone receives a message from God "line upon line…, precept upon precept" (2 Nephi 28:30). Most of the time, we receive revelation gradually, in smaller steps. It comes to us according to our desire and our worthiness and preparation. Such communications from the Father in heaven fall gradually and gently "upon [our souls] as the dews from heaven" (D&C 121:45). This pattern of revelation is more widespread and not so rare.

Additional Bible verses and other sources