Prayer

Several things have happened this past week that have me thinking about prayer.  I know it is not going to sound like I am thinking about prayer to begin with but I will get there.

We have been reading 3 Nephi 1 where the sign of Christ's birth happens.  Here these people see a sign and sort of straighten up for a while.  Then within a few short years many of the people are lying, stealing, murdering, etc.  Why?  I keep asking myself why are they not doing what they should be doing.  Then I start wondering about myself.  These chapters in 3 Nephi are a type of things to come.  So I want to know:  Where do I stand?  Do I see signs and just pass them off as if it were nothing?  Why were people turning away from the church and from Christ?  What do I need to do to keep from turning away from the church and from Christ?  

David said I needed to read 3 Nephi 18:18-21

18 Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must watch and pray always lest ye enter into temptation; for Satan desireth to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.
19 Therefore ye must always pray unto the Father in my name;
20 And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you.
21 Pray in your families unto the Father, always in my name, that your wives and your children may be blessed.

So there is where I get back to prayer.  I need to keep praying.  I need to improve the quality of my prayers.  So that is step one.  Pray.

2 Nephi 32: 8-9 says:

8 And now, my beloved brethren, I perceive that ye ponder still in your hearts; and it grieveth me that I must speak concerning this thing. 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.
9 But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul.

My ponderings have me wondering which spirit I am listening to.  Am I listening to a good spirit or an evil one?  I really want to be listening to a good spirit.  In order to listen to that spirit I need to be praying.  I really want to be ready for Christ's second coming.  May we each choose to be on the Lord's side.