Pour Out Your Heart In Prayer

Jesus Christ Topical Guide: Sermon On The Mount Series

“But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do.”

What is vain?

• No meaning.
• No life.
• Useless.
• Empty purpose.

I don’t think repetition is the problem. I think we can and should repeatedly pray for something we desire and need. The Apostles counsel us to pour our hearts out to Heavenly Father; to share with Him our thoughts, feelings, concerns, fears, desires, weaknesses, and the longings of our hearts.

Your personal problems will not be resolved over night, and some challenges might last a lifetime. For example, Elder D. Todd Christofferson has talked about a financial challenge he once faced that lasted years; and it nearly destroyed his family financially. This extended hardship taught him how to pray.

Certainly, he was not praying in vain. He needed help!

I think vain prayers are prayers we say out of habit or going through the motions. Sadly, for me that often means praying over the food. Too often that is a prayer to say so I can get to eating, and is not something I put a lot of thought into it.

If you live in the Salt Lake City valley, I invite you to join us at church on Sunday's. Currently we meet at 9 A.M.; however, starting in January we will change to noon. We are a mid-singles ward; however, if you have a family please don't let that stop you. Please, join us for for our first meeting which is Sacrament meeting, and make sure you ask someone to introduce you to our ward mission leader. Our address is 7155 South 540 East, Midvale Utah, 84047.