Pray for People, In Front of People

My MTC district.

           When I was in the MTC I learned a lesson that proved helpful in the field.  I’m glad I knew this at the beginning of my mission, so I'm excited to share it with you.

            In the MTC I served as a district leader.  One Sunday, our branch president, or member of the presidency, was teaching a group of district and zone leaders how to conduct effective interviews. He taught us to pray out loud with missionaries we interview.  We were counseled to let the missionaries hear us pray to the Father for them and let them hear us express sincere gratitude to Heavenly Father for them and all that they do.   He also taught us that if we listened carefully to the other missionaries pray (especially our companions), then it would give us great insights into what that missionary was concerned about, or perhaps struggling with.  I tried to do that as a district leader and felt that it helped my district members feel that I loved them. 

            I remember a specific experience where this principle applied in the field.  One night, my companion and I met with a member of the branch presidency in Vladivostok.  I remember being still fairly new to the country and the language, but the branch presidency member asked me to give the prayer.  I remember bowing my head, and the lesson I had learned in the MTC came strongly to mind.  In the best Russian I could muster, I thanked the Lord sincerely for the presidency member’s service.  I prayed with all my heart for him, his family, his work and his calling.  As I did my very best to pray for him, a sweet Spirit filled the room.  After the prayer he thanked me sincerely for my prayer, and we had a wonderful missionary message.

            To all the preparing future missionaries, I share this with you so that you can know one powerful way to show your love for your companions, members, and investigators.  Let them hear you pray sincerely for them and things that are important to them.  Home teaching and family prayer is a perfect time to practice this before your mission and continue to apply it after.

            I just want to end with a scripture where the Savior, our perfect example, practices this principle among the Nephites: “And no one can conceive of the joy which filled our souls at the time we heard [Jesus] pray for us unto the Father,” (3 Nephi 17:17).