BOMT Am I A Prayer Slacker? or Will I Rip Open My Heart?

I have prayed every day of my life for as long as I can remember. I've kept a prayer journal (off and on) to record my answers, which have never failed to come, and have at times established a deep connection with God (other times more habitual, with sort of a bungee cord connection.) I have never thought of myself as a prayer slacker. And yet this list from Alma gives me pause.

Right now I have a two-year goal for exponential spiritual growth (to match, in part, the growth our son is experiencing on his mission.) I love the spiritual depth and power I experienced years ago as a missionary, and am longing to once again stretch myself spiritually. One step toward that goal is to deepen my prayers.

What wonderful timing to discover this extensive list of how, where and what to pray for in Alma 34. Since I have no flocks or fields, I decided to reinterpret the list through a more contemporary lens. Here's my take on Alma's list:

• Pray to be treated with kindness and generosity, ask to be forgiven. (And, as a corollary, pray to treat others the way you would want to be treated.)
• Humble yourself, (See yourself in relation to God, rather than comparing yourself to other people. Express gratitude. Acknowledge His role in your life.)
• Continue to pray (When you think you're finished praying, pause, search your soul, and then keep going. Go deeper. Establish daily rhythms of prayer that you follow on a continual basis. Never take a break from this essential habit of connecting with God.)
• Pray about work, pray at work and during work (for me as an artist and art teacher, this means to pray about the subjects I'm going to paint and for my work on those paintings, pray in my studio and pray in the very act of painting, pray before I teach and for those I teach.)
• Pray at home, for your family, morning, mid-day and evening (and not just a recited blessing over the food at these times, but a heartfelt, meaningful prayer offered up in united faith, asking a blessing for each member of the family specific their needs.)
• Pray for protection (This could refer to safety of course, but also to protection from wrongdoers who could take advantage of us in business, or protection from our own tendencies to underperform and live beneath our calling and privilege as children of God.)
• Pray to resist temptation (Sometimes we know what are weaknesses are and can be actively watching out for them. Other times they catch us completely off guard—"Did I just say that?" "I can't believe I did that." Either way we need the strength to resist doing things we'll later regret. And suddenly I'm seeing a connection to resisting foods I'll later regret eating. That's a temptation too.)
• Pray that our work will prosper (It's okay to ask not just that we'll do our best, but that it will achieve the desired results and recognition. It's okay to ask for abundance in our lives.)
• Pray for increase (a raise? a bigger family? some improvement in our own ability or performance? It's okay to ask for what we have to increase.)
• Pour out your soul in private, and in nature (I actually do this often. Walking (or sitting quietly and reflecting) in nature is one of my favorite ways to commune with God.)
• Pray with a full heart, drawn out in continual prayer (Don't ever allow yourself to disconnect from the Source of all your love, light and blessings.)

When I think of praying with a full heart, I'm reminded of a favorite hymn in Spanish: Secreta Oración. In English I don't even like this hymn..."There is an Hour of Peace and Rest." The chorus "May my heart be turned to pray, Pray in secret day by day" is a bit repetitive and bland. But in Spanish the chorus Rendiré mi corazon en secreta oración translates as "I will rip open my heart in private prayer." And in the wonderful Spanish wards and branches where I served as a missionary, the people sing this with ánimo, with passion and energy and with their whole hearts. Such an inspiration. They sing as though they are counting on the gift of prayer to grant them a deep connection with the heavens, as the rest of the chorus promises. I think that's how we should approach prayer.

And then there's one more piece of advice on prayer Alma gives us, and it's a bit surprising.

• Be excessively, unfailingly kind...or else. If we do all this praying, no matter how earnest, but then fail to take care of the poor and the sick and the troubled, then our prayers don't even count, have no effect. Without charity in our hearts, nothing else matters.

Okay, it's official. I'm a slacker. But I'm working on it and improving.

QUESTION: How do you make prayer a more vibrant part of your life?