Interesting...

So as I was reading the scriptures for class today I was really hit by the words in Alma 31:20 --

For behold, every man did go forth and offer up these same prayers.

I know that we don't offer up prayers like the Zoramites -- on a pedestal, one day a week, and the same prayer -- but how often do we say things in our prayers not because we mean them but because it is habit? One example that I find I do is to ask for the Lord to bless my family. Although it is not a bad thing to ask for my family to be blessed...but I must admit that I don't exactly always mean it. Not to say that I don't want my family to be safe and to return to their homes safely at the end of the day but I don't really think about their individual situations and pray for them in that sense. I merely ask the Lord to bless my family as a general statement without even thinking.

This must get really old for Heavenly Father to hear! I mean I am sure that he understands what I mean but we are to bear our whole hearts to Him and thank Him for the wonderful things He has given us that we use everyday!! We are to ask Him SINCERELY for blessings that we have thought about and that we need in our lives! We can't just say the same things in our prayers because they are habit...we need to honestly believe in what we are praying for and that He will answer our prayers because we did so sincerely and with faith in Him!!