If I ever give a talk on prayer in Sacrament Meeting, I think I’ll just spend most of my time quoting President Eyring. This is a man who knows how to pray. He prays, and his prayers get answers. But I think President Eyring’s key to getting prayers answered is knowing what to pray for in the first place.

I first noticed this in President Eyring’s biography published in the Ensign upon his call to be an apostle, here:

…My father has told us that there are two things that he prays for every night. The first is, ‘What blessings do I have that I am not aware of?’ and the second is, ‘Whom can I help?’ And,” [his son] Matthew adds, “Dad says there has never been a day that his prayers haven’t been answered.”

And then, in one of my favorite President Eyring talks, “Do Not Delay,” found here:

One of the questions we must ask of our Heavenly Father in private prayer is this: “What have I done today, or not done, which displeases Thee? If I can only know, I will repent with all my heart without delay.” That humble prayer will be answered. And the answers will surely include the assurance that asking today was better than waiting to ask tomorrow.

So, President Eyring prays to be more aware of his blessings, to know who he can help, to know what he needs to repent of. Those questions have stuck with me somehow. The key in all of these questions is to “pray with the intent to obey,” which President Eyring explains:

Teach them to pray to the Father in faith in the name of Jesus Christ. There is a promise in the book of Omni about that.

“And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved.”

The young Joseph Smith showed us how to pray that way. He believed in the promise he read in the book of James. He went to the grove with faith that his prayer would be answered. He wanted to know which church to join. He was submissive enough to be ready to do whatever he was told to do. So he prayed, as we must, already committed to obey.

What he was told to do required his whole soul and finally his life. He endured during the 24 years that followed by continuing to pray with that childlike faith and humility. We can teach those we love to pray with the intent to obey.

From “An Enduring Testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith,” Nov. 2003 Ensign.

That quote is fascinating to me, in light of President Eyring’s earlier instructions on prayer. To “pray in faith” means to pray “with the intent to obey.” Or in other words, when we pray for guidance, we must be committed to obey it.

Do I always pray with the intent to obey? No. More often, I’m seeking to counsel the Lord, rather than take counsel from his hand. Sometimes I do, though. A couple of weeks ago, after praying in this way, I felt guided to bring my kids and visit my grandparents. Sunday, my grandma suffered a stroke. I am deeply grateful that I prayed on that day to know who I was supposed to help. She enjoyed our visit, but more than that, the Spirit saved me from the pain I would be feeling now if I hadn’t gone. And I wonder, as I always do, what opportunities I have missed out on because I was not willing to pray with intent to obey, to ask God for guidance intending to do His will.

Other things President Eyring says to pray for (the links are to the entire talk, not the specific quote):
Charity and the opportunity to share the gospel
Help as you serve in your calling
Strength to endure trials

Tell us about an experience when you’ve prayed “with the intent to obey.” Or, if there’s another President Eyring quote on prayer you love, or one from a different General Authority, please share it here.