RS Lesson Summary- Oct 26th

Sister Armstrong gave a lovely lesson about the importance of prayer on Sunday. Her lesson came from the teachings of the prophets of the church, lesson #22, Prayer, a Commandment and a Blessing. You can read the talk online at lds.org.
President Joseph Fielding Smith taught us that the 'spirit of prayer part of our very being'. President Smith taught us by example. He quotes several times in his life when prayer was vital and life saving.
Sister Armstrong commented that prayer can open the windows of heaven, and pour out blessings to us.
During President Smith's 62 years of apostolic ministry, he often included prayers in his talks. President Smith's prayers revealed the 'depth of his testimony. '

Prayer is a deeply personal activity. Our relationship with our Heavenly Father grows and is sustained by our prayers. When we make prayer a personal priority, we are strengthened in everything we do.

1- We are commanded to draw near to Heavenly Father in Prayer
"… It is the duty of parents to teach their children to pray as soon as they commence to understand. Let them form the habit of approaching their Father in heaven, and with the understanding of the reason for prayer. If this habit is formed in childhood, it may remain through mature years, and the man or woman who has earnestly sought the Lord and thanked him for blessings, may expect that the Lord will not forsake them in the hour of need."

2-The season of prayer is always
" Some of us may have the idea that the season of prayer is when we arise in the morning, and when we are about to retire at night when our work is done, and that there is no other season for prayer. But I say unto you, and I have good backing for it, that the season for prayer is always. "

3-All we do should be in harmony with the expressions of our prayers
"We should not pray merely with our lips; but in every act, in our conversation, in all that we undertake to do, we should try to carry out the expressions of our prayers, and be in harmony with the thoughts that we declare to the Lord in our daily supplications."

4-In our prayers we should pour out our souls in Thanksgiving
" In our prayers we should pour out our souls in thanksgiving for life and being, for the redeeming sacrifice of the Son of God, for the gospel of salvation, for Joseph Smith and the mighty work of restoration brought to pass through him. We should acknowledge the hand of the Lord in all things and thank him for all things both temporal and spiritual."

5- We should plead to the Father for all our righteous desires
' We should plead with [Heavenly Father] for faith and integrity and for every godly attribute, for the triumph and success of his work, for the guidance of his Holy Spirit, and for salvation in his kingdom. We should pray for our families, for our wives and children, for food and shelter and clothing, for our business concerns, and for all our righteous desires.'

In Closing: 
" In these troublesome and difficult times, I pray that all men may be guided by that light which lighteth every man who cometh into the world [see John 1:9; D&C 93:2], and that they may gain thereby the wisdom to solve the problems which beset mankind."