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Asking God what to ask Him for

What happens when you pray for what to pray for?

A short story:

When I remember, and when my heart is sufficiently quiet, I dare to ask what I should pray for.

One must listen carefully, and for awhile, to hear His answer.

I prefer to pray in the dark. It seems easier to hear with my eyes closed.

Not long ago, I asked, and then waited.

His answer - a single word - was something I couldn’t have imagined.

“More.”

I sat in silence. Had I heard what I thought I’d heard?

I checked.

“Yes.”

“Ask Me for more. More faith. More humility. More trust. More love.”

Okay. That made sense. Asking for more of the gifts that would make me a better follower of the Savior. I could do that.

The Spirit pressed - so gently, but also with firmness.

“Yes, but there is more. Ask for what you want most. Your deepest wishes. Your biggest dreams. The things that no one knows of except for me.”

“Ask and ye shall receive.”

Tears came softly in the dark as I tried to believe.

Why is it so hard for us to accept that God wants to give us everything? This isn’t a secret. Again and again, He has told us that His ultimate purpose is to exalt as many of His children as are willing to be exalted. Exaltation = living the kind of life that God lives = joy beyond anything we can begin to imagine.

And yet, we resist. We short-change His promises. And sometimes, we ask “amiss.”

“Christians are taught to pray in Christ’s name. We pray in Christ’s name when our mind is the mind of Christ, and our wishes the wishes of Christ—when His words abide in us. We then ask for things it is possible for God to grant. Many prayers remain unanswered because they are not in Christ’s name at all; they in no way represent His mind but spring out of the selfishness of man’s heart.”

“Prayer” - Bible Dictionary

I’ve been trying to harder to listen more, to ask for what He wants to give me, and being astonished at what I’m being told. “Ask for more.”

“Encircled About By Fire”

In 2015, Elder Kim B. Clark shared a message with Church Education System employees titled Encircled About By Fire. I have re-watched and re-read it several times over the years. I’ve discovered that different parts of his talk stand out each time I read it. During my most recent reading, this is what I felt directed to ponder:

(Before you read it, an important caution: Elder Clark’s message was given to a specific audience, at a specific time, and for a specific purpose. Being invited to be better and to do even more than we’re already doing can be unsettling and even hurtful if we aren’t settled in our standing before God. The role of the Holy Ghost is imperative here. We have the promise that “By the power of the Holy Ghost we may know the truth of all things (Moroni 10:5).” This includes knowing what we need to do to be what God wants us to be.)

“I also pray that the Holy Ghost will be with us as we consider together the implications of a simple message. The message has come to me personally, but I feel that I should share the message with you too. Here it is: Whatever level of spirituality we now enjoy in our lives; whatever degree of faith in Jesus Christ we now have; whatever strength of commitment and consecration, whatever degree of obedience or hope or charity is ours; whatever level of professional skill and ability we may have obtained, it will not be sufficient for the work that lies ahead.”

“Brothers and sisters, you and I need to be much better than we are now. The scriptures teach us that the world is now and will be in commotion. Wickedness and darkness will increase. Yet in that darkening world there will be increased divine light. The Lord Jesus Christ has a great work for us to do… It is a greater work than we have ever done before. The Lord is working in power to strengthen teaching and learning in His true and living Church. He is hastening His work, and He is preparing the earth and His kingdom and us for His return.”

This is the other side of praying for “more.” God does want to give us everything. But there is a price for such a gift - our everything. Our hearts, our lives, our desires. And perhaps hardest of all to give - our wills.

Giving God “more” leads to big questions. What exactly should we give? In his message, Elder Clark shared an experience he had after waking from a terrible nightmare and being directed to “put on the whole armor of God.” He and Sister Clark began to counsel together about what this meant for them personally and as a couple.

“I learned that we needed to ask ourselves two questions. I believe these are the questions whose answers will lead us to do what we need to do to prepare for what lies ahead. Here they are: (1) What am I doing that I should stop doing? and (2) What am I not doing that I should start doing?”

I have found that pondering these two questions is the key to understanding what “more” means for me. It is so easy to slip into our lists, isn’t it?

“I need to listen better and work harder and pray more and visit more people and forgive that person (and that person and that person) and and and…”

Yes, we do need to do these things. But there is sometimes a hidden danger in lists. If we’re not careful, they can take a Law of Moses-like hold on our hearts and mute or even cancel out the gentle whisperings of the Spirit.

Fact: We cannot earn nor can we win God’s love or favor. But we must earn and keep His trust.

Perhaps in an upcoming moment, when you are brave enough to ask and quiet enough to hear - ask Him what you should be praying for. If your experience is anything like mine, you may need to ask more than once, and consistently over time. This is not something to take lightly or casually. Symbolically removing our shoes as we approach the most powerful Being in the universe would be wise.

One more thought: Be prepared to participate.

“Faith is a principle of action and power.” Joseph Smith

Translation: Discipleship is a contact sport. Our contribution to miraculous outcomes may literally be .00000001%, but we are expected to give our very best.

In a word, more.