Ether 3 – Pray in Declaration

I’m not so certain why I was fascinated with the Brother of Jared’s prayer as I read it, but I wonder if it was put in the scriptures as a guide in prayer.  What does the brother of Jared declare?

• He declares the word of the Lord as it pertained to why he had approached the Lord (v2)
• He declares his own weakness.
• He declares that the Lord is holy.
• He declares that he dwells in the heavens.
• He declares his own unworthiness before the Lord.
• He declares his knowledge that his unworthiness has as much to do with the Fall of Adam as it does his own nature. 
• He declares that he’s been commanded of the Lord to call upon Him in prayer.
• He declares his faith in receiving according to his desires.
• He declares they have been smitten because of their iniquity (v3).
• He declares he knows they’ve been left to wander in the wilderness because of their iniquity.

After all these declarations, he then asks the Lord to touch the molten rocks and cause light to shine from them.  We know the miracle from this prayer was that he saw the finger of the Lord and when he declared he had seen this much of the Lord and knew now that He had a body and flesh and blood, the Lord showed him his entire body. 

One of the most beautiful prayers I’ve heard was in sacrament meeting as Sister Harley petitioned the Lord’s presence to attend us at that meeting.  It was as if she were talking face-to-face with the Lord.  She declared our purpose in assembling.  She declared our desire to be made perfect in our Savior and to be forgiven.  I wish I could remember more of what she said, but it was a powerful prayer and I wasn’t the only one who noticed it, as it was mentioned in Sunday School afterward. 

I’m not certain where I’m going with this except to record the thought that perhaps wonderful things would happen if I begin my prayers in a spirit of declaration and let the Lord know what I know – including enumeration of my blessings -  and then let him know what I need.