Pray ALWAYS

Speaking of the miraculous preservation of every one of the "2000 stripling warriors" Helaman writes, "...they do put their trust in God continually." (Alma 57:27) The word "continually" strikes me as the operative word in this phrase. I am considering this topic of being guided by the Spirit in all things, and I find so many examples and injunctions in the Scriptures that it surprises me that this could be new to me. I remember reading the words of the Lord in Luke regarding preparing for the Second Coming, "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy..." (Luke 21:36) I thought this was some sort of hyperbole, that it would not be possible to "Pray always!" However, now I'm beginning to think this is a commandment that I must learn how to do.

"...be watchful unto prayer continually..." (Alma 34:39)
"...to keep them continually watchful unto prayer..." (Moroni 6:4)
"...men ought always to pray, and not to faint." (Luke 18:1)
"...ye must pray always, and not faint..." (2 Nephi 32:9)
"Pray always..." (D&C 88:126)
"...men ought always to pray and not to faint..." (D&C 101:81)
"...let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly..." (D&C 121:45)
"...bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:5)
"Look unto me in every thought..." (D&C 6:36)
"...treasure up in your minds continually the words of life..." (D&C 84:85)
"...be constant unto me..." (Reverently and Meekly Now)
"...we will give ourselves continually to prayer..." (Acts 6:4)

It is a commandment to pray always. There is no way around all of the Scriptures that tell us to pray always, continually, constantly, and unceasingly. I grew up with the tradition of separation of my "religious life" from my "secular life." This is one of the "wicked traditions of my fathers" and is found generally in the Church. I hear it all the time from other members, that we should keep our religion out of our workplace, for example. In reality, though, there can be no separation, because either we give our whole heart to God, or we have nothing. The road to God is straight, and narrow. There is no other way. The road to hell is wide and varied-- it is every other path that is not outlined by Christ. I now recognize that I have been keeping a foot in the world as I delude myself into thinking that I am on the path to God because I keep the letter of the law, like a Pharisee, but I have missed the Spirit entirely.

Distinguish good from evil
I will repent. I am beginning to understand how to keep a prayer in my heart at all times. As I go about my day, I am thinking various things. How do I know if something is of God? Mormon tells us that we must judge good from evil, "For behold, my brethren, it is given unto you to judge, that ye may know good from evil; and the way to judge is as plain, that ye may know with a perfect knowledge, as the daylight is from the dark night." (Moroni 7:15) I know the fruit of the Spirit as explained by Paul, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance..." (Galatians 5:22-23) When I feel peace and joy it is of God. However, when I feel separation, guilt, depression, worry, doubt, or fear I can know it is of the devil. This test can be applied to every thought of my mind and heart. If I always seek those things that are virtuous, and never dwell on the evil, then I can always have a prayer in my heart.

"More purpose in prayer"
Another essential part of constant prayer is purpose. Those who pray "to be heard of men" do not pray with real intent. "He [that] shall pray and not with real intent of heart; yea, and it profiteth him nothing, for God receiveth none such." (Moroni 7:9) "Real intent" is connecting with God in an obedient way. It is praying with the intent that whatever God tells me to do, I will do, no matter how hard it seems. Submission to the will of God is a pre-requisite to receiving answers to prayers. If the prayer is for some other reason than to submit to the will of God, it is not real. Thus, the attempt to pray always without obeying "every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God" is vain and useless.

As I learn to understand the language of prayer and am able to feel the Spirit of the Lord I can be more and more obedient to His word. If I don't understand a command, I can't obey it. However, if I understand and obey, I can be a servant of the Lord. And, as I grow in this knowledge and become a seasoned warrior, obeying every word of command with exactness, then "Thus I will become a smooth and polished shaft in the quiver of the Almighty" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 304). I will be sent from the bow of God and fly straight and true to the mark He intends to hit.

I'm so excited to learn how to "pray always" so I can obey "every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God." I'm going to practice listening and obeying every minute until every thought and every action comes into alignment with the will of the Almighty. Jesus said, "For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me." (John 6:38) "Lord, I would follow thee!"