_�Given the times in which we live, improving our prayers should be one of our deepest desires._� —Elder Neal A. Maxwell

Have you ever felt that your prayers don_�_t get past the ceiling_� that God just doesn_�_t hear anything you pray for? Do you sometimes wonder what it takes to get the answers you need?

In A Year of Powerful Prayer, some of the most important and inspirational writings on the topic of prayer from Church leaders, gospel scholars, and other beloved writers have been gathered into 365 daily devotionals. Embark on a journey that will help to increase your understanding of prayer, help you recognize answers to prayers, and encourage you to utilize the power of prayer in a more meaningful way. Learn how to make your prayers more effective and strengthen your personal relationship with God. A Year of Powerful Prayer offers guidance, hope, and prophetic promises as you seek to discover how prayer can make a profound difference in your life.

Includes selections from Gordon B. Hinckley, James E. Faust, Joseph B. Wirthlin, Neal A. Maxwell, Gerald N. Lund, Truman G. Madsen, Patricia R. Holland, Bruce R. McConkie, Robert L. Millet, Virginia H. Pearce, and S. Michael Wilcox.

Click Here to view the sources for the quotations in this book.

For Our Benefit

How do we come to the Father? Listen to the words of the Savior:

“And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

“But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

“But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

“Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him” (Matthew 6:5–8).

The Pharisees prayed publicly in the synagogues and in the streets. They prayed with vain repetition and much speaking. The Lord withdrew from the crowds and went to solitary places to pray. He taught us to come to the Father with the faith of a child, with humility and a believing heart. Even so, the Savior acknowledges that Heavenly Father already knows our needs and our hearts. So why do we pray?

Prayer is for our benefit. When we kneel down and bow our heads, and ask God for blessings that we need, we are acknowledging our dependence on Him for everything that we enjoy. We recognize Heavenly Father as the giver of all, as the source of power, light, life, and strength. Over and over the scriptures repeat these words of the Savior: “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (Matthew 7:7). . . .

We can and we must ask, knock, and seek for a variety of blessings. But in those moments of pouring out our souls and asking with full hearts, we must remember one very important principle. It is taught in the Lord’s prayer with these words, “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). . . .

Is it possible that sometimes when we pray we are like a hungry child asking only for candy? In our prayers do we say, “Heavenly Father, this is the blessing I want,” when what we really need and what He would give us are the rich experiences that will nourish our souls, increase our growth, and keep us on the path that will bring us home to Him? Many times the answers to our prayers are those refining experiences that we may not recognize as blessings.

—Margaret Lifferth