How to Improve Your Prayers

The Spirit whispered something important to me about prayer. I realized that I had thought of it as a means to maintain my spiritual status. What Nephi used it for was to help him progress (to have his heart softened, to learn how to build a boat, etc.). Prayer will become more meaningful to me as I use it as a means to ask Heavenly Father what I need to do next to achieve my goals. This is the whole message behind my favorite talk from this Conference! It is "What Lack I Yet?" from Elder Larry R. Lawrence. SO GOOD. Ten minutes well spent. Every step we take towards righteousness will make us happier and happier. I think this was important for me to realize, because often I don't envision myself being happier as I keep more commandments! I normally just envision myself trying to dutifully do it even if I don't want to. But I really am happier whenever I keep another commandment. And that is the way that will encourage us to WANT to keep the commandments. Happiness is a huge incentive--really, it's the reason we do everything we do. Enos hungered AFTER "the joy of the saints...sunk deep into [his] heart." (Enos 1:3)