James E. Faust on the precious lifeline of prayer

President James E. Faust (1920-2007) was called as a Seventy in 1976, then as a member of the Quorum of Twelve in 1978. He served as a counselor to President Hinckley from 1995 until his death in 2007 at age 87.

"Access to our Creator through our Savior is surely one of the great privileges and blessings of our lives. I have learned from countless personal experiences that great is the power of prayer. No earthly authority can separate us from direct access to our Creator. There can never be a mechanical or electronic failure when we pray. There is no limit on the number of times or how long we can pray each day. There is no quota of how many needs we wish to pray for in each prayer. We do not need to go through secretaries or make an appointment to reach the throne of grace. He is reachable at any time and any place.

"When God placed man on the earth, prayer became the lifeline between mankind and God. Thus, in Adam’s generation, men began 'to call upon the name of the Lord' (Gen. 4:26). Through all generations since that time, prayer has filled a very important human need. Each of us has problems that we cannot solve and weaknesses that we cannot conquer without reaching out through prayer to a higher source of strength. That source is the God of heaven to whom we pray in the name of Jesus Christ. (See 2 Ne. 32:9; 3 Ne. 20:31.)"

- James E. Faust, "The Lifeline of Prayer," Ensign, May 2002, pp. 59-62
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We each have the privilege of learning through our personal experiences, as did President Faust, that "great is the power of prayer." This witness of that blessing should help inspire us to seek greater understanding and appreciation. President Faust contrasts prayer with some of the means of earthly communication that are sometimes difficult or interrupted; with prayer, we can be assured that God is listening and available at any time!

One of the key points President Faust makes is the essential nature of prayer to our success in life. "Each of us has problems that we cannot solve and weaknesses that we cannot conquer without reaching out through prayer to a higher source of strength." There really is no other way to succeed without taking full advantage of this marvelous gift!