3 Messages from General Conference to Help You Pray Confidently
I didn’t feel worthy of getting answers to my prayers. Through general conference, God showed me otherwise.
I have a complicated relationship with prayer. Sometimes I find it easy to pray consistently and sincerely; other times the habit falls by the wayside. Renewing my efforts is hard because I often feel like my inconsistency means I’m not worthy enough to pray.
I was in one of those spiritual slumps before general conference, when busyness and personal hardships left me feeling far, far away from God. I prayed to hear His voice during general conference, but I sort of felt like I didn’t deserve to. Why should I, when I’d been slacking off?
But over the course of the conference, I did hear Him—as the speakers taught me how I can make my prayers more meaningful. Here are three specific lessons I learned:
1. Don’t wait for perfection to pray.
Sister Tamara W. Runia, the First Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency, shared how she used to distance herself from the Savior when she made mistakes, because she thought God was disappointed in her. That was how I felt!
Then she shared a truth that I’d been overlooking: “If you wait until you’re clean enough or perfect enough to go to the Savior, you’ve missed the whole point!”
Prayer is a form of worship that brings us closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, not a privilege They only give out to the most perfect. You will never be unworthy to pray.
No matter where you are on your spiritual journey or how long it’s been since you last prayed, remember that “your repentance doesn’t burden Jesus Christ; it brightens His joy!”
So do your prayers.
2. Pray like it’s the first time.
Elder Sandino Roman of the Seventy recommended an exercise to make praying more meaningful:
“Pray to your Heavenly Father as if it were the first time. …
“If you are sincere and humble, you will hear His answer and begin a personal and lasting relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.”
For me, praying as if for the first time means pouring out my whole soul, much like Joseph Smith did in the Sacred Grove (see Joseph Smith—History 1:14–16). Not every prayer will bring an intense spiritual experience, but praying with the belief and faith that it could will bring you closer to the Lord and help you rely on Him.
3. Be confident that God hears your prayers.
At the end of the conference, President Russell M. Nelson spoke about becoming more confident in our relationship with God. He invited us to “[pray] with confidence that Heavenly Father hears us, that He understands our needs better than we do.”
Having confidence that I’m being heard makes my prayers feel more intimate and sacred. Rather than speaking into the void, I’m talking to a trusted Father in Heaven who wants to help me. He’ll never give me the silent treatment or criticize me for what I’m feeling. Whenever I pray, He is with me because He loves me. His answers will come in His perfect time and way.
Though general conference is over, I know that I can still hear God’s voice anytime through prayer. I’m not perfect, but that doesn’t make me unworthy of speaking with my Father.
By laying my imperfections at His feet, pouring out my soul to Him, and trusting that He hears me, I can confidently make every prayer a sacred experience.