3 And I, Nephi, did go into the mount oft, and I did pray oft unto the Lord; wherefore the Lord showed unto me great things.
What is the key to opening the lines of communication with our Heavenly Father?
– Is it the duration of our prayers? (Enos 1:4)
– Is it the breadth of content in our prayers? (Alma 34:17-27)
In these verses, Nephi gives us another key: frequency. The Lord showed him great things because he prayed “oft.”
When the brother of Jared sought revelation after 4 years of living on the seashore, the Lord “chastened him because he remembered not to call upon the name of the Lord.” (Ether 2:14) His lack of consistency took a toll on his relationship with God.
Malcolm Gladwell suggested that we master a skill by practicing for 10,000 hours. I wonder how many hours I have prayed in my life.
I don’t have the luxury right now of praying all day as Enos did, but I can pray “oft.”
How consistently do I pray? How frequently do I find a quiet place where I can be alone (“go into the mount”) and talk with God? Would the quality of my communication improve if I simply spent more time at it consistently?