Have you ever had the desire to pray but then felt that you couldn't? Maybe you felt you were unworthy to pray, maybe you felt that you didn't know what to say, or maybe you thought that God wouldn't listen to you or answer your prayer even if you did pray. These thoughts come from Satan, not from God.

God is our Father, He loves us, and He is always there for us. Not one of us is perfect, we are all equally sinners and need the atonement of Jesus Christ. I know that the Lord guides us to seek Him through prayer, whereas Satan tries to stop us from praying.

The following scripture in The Book of Mormon came to my mind:

"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 devil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray" (2 Nephi 32:8).

When we think or feel that we need to pray, those feels come from God. As Alma said from The Book of Mormon:

"And now, my brethren, I wish from the inmost part of my heart, yea, with great anxiety even unto pain, that ye would hearken unto my words, and cast off your sins, and not procrastinate the day of your repentance;

"But that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering" (Alma 13:28).

Remember, if you don't feel like praying then pray until you do feel like praying. It always works.

Satan Tries to Stop Us From Praying originally appeared on About.com Latter-day Saints on Friday, January 22nd, 2010 at 09:38:49.

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