A prayer's sincerity, not necessarily its wording, is what should be strived for when communicating with Heavenly Father, said John P. McLay Thursday at BYU Education Week.
Sharing several quotes from apostles and scripture, McLay emphasized the need to make one's prayers simple, direct and sincere, quoting Dallin H. Oakes' April 1983 conference talk. Testimonies should be handled similarly. When listening to another pray or bear testimony, McLay said, one should not analyze or scrutinize, but rather listen also simply, directly and sincerely. Even when one can't express what he or she desires to say, Heavenly Father understands our intent, and the desires of our heart. It is our sincerity, not phraseology, that counts, he said.
McLay also referenced Doctrine and Covenants 62:3, which promises blessings for the testimony borne. He also shared his strategy for making his prayers more sincere.
\"If my motives are pure … it helps me pray in a respectful way,\" he said.
Spiritual growth comes slowly and is almost imperceptible to measure. Happenings such as Paul on the road to Damascus are rare; however, events like Education Week can provide tools to increase spiritual growth, he said. With spiritual growth comes a better perspective and more knowledge and understanding of truth, he said.See the full story on ldschurchnews.com.
This story is provided by the LDS Church News, an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is produced weekly by the Deseret News.