But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Not using vain repetitions in my prayers is can be hard. I do not think that many of us use vain repetitions to impress others by our verbose language, as the heathens did. Rather, we use vain repetitions because we aren't willing to put in the time and effort required to truly commune with God.
As the Bible Dictionary states, "Blessings require some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them. Prayer is a form of work and is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings." (“Prayer.” Bible Dictionary. Emphasis added.) The more work I put into my prayers, the more I get out of them. The same is true with all of my relationships; the more attention, focus, and thought I devote to others, and to my conversations with others, the more I understand them and the stronger our relationships become. Two instances come to mind of times that I feel more naturally inclined to offer sincere prayers. The first is on Fast Sunday, when I plead to the Lord for something I am in need of. The second is in the temple, where I come to feel close to God. I realize, however, that I do not have to wait until Fast Sunday, or until I am in the House of the Lord, to have meaningful prayers. I truly believe that God, our Loving Father, is eager to hear and respond to our prayers. What can we learn from the Lord's prayer? What things aspects of Christ's prayer can we incorporate into our own prayers? Here are a few elements that stood out to me:
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