All of our scriptures continually stress the importance of prayer, so there’s no denying that we must make prayer a part of our daily routine. Prayer is so much more than simply asking for what we want. It’s about expressing our gratitude, feeling closer to Heavenly Father, gaining peace and lessening negativity, and much more. All of these scriptures about prayer are great for deepening our understanding of prayer.
This article covers a variety of scriptures about prayer from the following King James Version scriptures:
- The Book of Mormon
- The Doctrine and Covenants
- The Old Testament
- The New Testament
Scriptures in The Book of Mormon About Prayer
“… For if ye would hearken unto the Spirit which teacheth a man to pray, ye would know that ye must pray; for the evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray.” – 2 Nephi 32:8
Every good thing is of God. If you feel you’re ever being instructed to do something contrary to what God has told us, that advice is of the adversary and should always be ignored.
“Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you.” – Alma 34:27
Pray for yourself, pray for your family and your friends, pray for strangers, and pray for your enemies. Whether you like someone or not, they are still children of Heavenly Father, making them our brothers and sisters.
“Yea, humble yourselves, and continue in prayer unto him.” – Alma 34:19
Humility is a key part of eternal life and happiness. Repentance and change require you to be humble, own up to your mistakes, and keep striving to do better each and every day.
“But behold I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you;” – 3 Nephi 12:44
While it might not make sense to pray for people you do not care for, they are the ones who need it the most. People who are unkind are the ones who need to feel God’s love more than anyone.
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must watch and pray always, lest ye be tempted by the devil, and ye be led away captive by him.” – 3 Nephi 18:15
Prayer is a powerful tool in avoiding temptation. Pray to God for the strength to avoid temptation, and say no to the things you know in your heart are not good for you. God can give you strength when you need it.
Make your Book of Mormon reading more fun with a reading chart bookmark!
“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.” – Moroni 7:48
One of the best things we can pray for is the knowledge and ability to be like Christ. Our ultimate goal in this life should be to be as close to Christ-like as possible. We must reach Christ’s level of worthiness to enter the kingdom of Heaven.
Don’t forget to check out these awesome LDS Podcasts for inspiration and education!
Scriptures in The Doctrine and Covenants About Prayer
“Behold, I say unto him, he exalts himself and does not humble himself sufficiently before me; but if he will bow down before me, and humble himself in mighty prayer and faith, in the sincerity of his heart, then will I grant unto him a view of the things which he desires to see.” – Doctrine and Covenants 5:24
Prayer and faith go far in God’s eyes. We must show humility and admit our imperfections to God for Him to show us His hand in our lives.
“Pray always, and I will pour out my Spirit upon you, and great shall be your blessing—” – Doctrine and Covenants 19:38
Nothing will give us more strength, more understanding, or more joy than God pouring out His spirit onto us. His presence is a powerful tool in our lives.
”And they shall also teach their children to pray, and to walk uprightly before the Lord.” – Doctrine and Covenants 68:28
It’s a parent’s responsibility to teach their child the importance of prayer, as well as how to pray. While instructing them is an important part of teaching, teaching by example is even more important. Never cease to pray in front of and with your children.
“Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God;” – Doctrine and Covenants 88:119
Our homes should be a place of safety, happiness, learning, and so much more. It is our safe haven. And it should be a place where we can comfortably pray every day.
Scriptures in The Old Testament About Prayer
“Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people”. – Numbers 21:7
We often feel unworthy to pray to God because of the sins we have committed, but after we sin is actually the most important time for us to pray. God can help take away our guilt and shame from our sin, and give us the strength to refrain from sin in the future.
“The Lord is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.” – Proverbs 15:29
While you don’t have to be perfect for God to hear your prayers, you should be striving for righteousness. If you have sinned, but have the desire to repent and get back on the right path, God will always hear you.
“When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.” – Jonah 2:7
When Jonah felt as if he was at his wits end, He prayed to God to give Him strength. This should be something we all do. God can give us strength in the hardest of times.
Scriptures in The New Testament About Prayer
“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.” – Matthew 6:6
While praying in groups is great, it’s also important that we pray in private. God doesn’t want us to pray as a way to show off or look good in front of others. Prayer is about our personal relationship with God.
“And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” – Matthew 21:22
Prayer is our opportunity to ask God for the things we want. And we will either receive what we ask for, or not. But God always gives us what we need. He knows our future, and we don’t. So we must trust that he knows what’s best for us.
“And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” – Matthew 26:39
Prayer is a great way to call out to God and tell Him about our struggles. We can ask Him to take away our suffering. But we must ask with faith, knowing that if He does not take away our suffering, there is a reason for this. He knows what’s best for us, even if we don’t understand it in the moment.
“And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.” – Luke 11:2
‘Thy will be done’ is such a powerful statement. It’s admitting that no matter what happens, it’s all apart of God’s plan. And His plan for us is always in our favor. He loves us and only wants what’s best for us.
“Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;” – Romans 12:12
Patience is a large part of prayer. Our prayers don’t always get answered in what we feel is a timely manner. But we must have faith that God will answer them when the time is right.
“Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” – Philippians 4:6
A large part of prayer is expressing gratitude and thanks for all that God does for us each and every day, whether we see it or not. After our trials are over, it’s easier to see God’s hand in our lives, and that He was there through it all, right beside us.
For even more bible verses on prayer, check out this article!
Final Thoughts On Scriptures About Prayer
The scriptures were given to us to advise us, teach us, and guide us. They never cease to stress the importance of prayer. This means that prayer is an essential part of a joyful life and eternal happiness.
