Prayer Cycle

A few years back, a member of the Stake High Council, Br. Mayfield, spoke to our ward about prayer.

He talked about the cycle of getting answers to prayer that he said goes like this:
1- We have a need
2- We pray about that need
3- God answers that prayer
4- We thank Him
5- The cycle starts again


As I was reading in 3 Nephi, I realized that what the people were experiencing was a perfect example of this prayer cycle. There is one important aspect of prayer that needs to be added. That is that after we pray, we need to do all in our power first. Heavenly Father won't usually do something for us that we can do for ourselves.

There is a saying:
“Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.”
~St. Augustine
So here is the Answers to Prayer Cycle with the new addition:
1- We have a need
2- We pray about that need
3- We do our part to help bring about the answer and God answers that prayer
4- We thank Him
5- The cycle starts again

In this example from the scriptures, the people pray for deliverance from their enemies, then they work hard to prepare themselves, then God helps them to win their battles, and then they thank Him with all their hearts for His help.

3 Nephi 3:12,14 and 3 Nephi 4: 32 and 33

12 Now behold, this Lachoneus, the governor, was a just man, and could not be frightened by the demands and the threatenings of a robber; therefore he did not hearken to the epistle of Giddianhi, the governor of the robbers, but he did cause that his people should cry unto the Lord for strength against the time that the robbers should come down against them.

14 And he caused that fortifications should be built round about them, and the strength thereof should be exceedingly great. And he caused that armies, both of the Nephites and of the Lamanites, or of all them who were numbered among the Nephites, should be placed as guards round about to watch them, and to guard them from the robbers day and night.

31 And it came to pass that they did break forth, all as one, in singing, and praising their God for the great thing which he had done for them, in preserving them from falling into the hands of their enemies.

32 Yea, they did cry: Hosanna to the Most High God. And they did cry: Blessed be the name of the Lord God Almighty, the Most High God.

33 And their hearts were swollen with joy, unto the gushing out of many tears, because of the great goodness of God in delivering them out of the hands of their enemies; and they knew it was because of their repentance and their humility that they had been delivered from an everlasting destruction.