Assist to Pray
I want to share a human nature secret that applies in
business and on a mission – people move along to what they need and what you
want by making small decisions along the way.
They seldom make a big decision all at once. Therefore, reduce the decisions your clients
or investigators must make to small decisions.
I offer an example from my business. Suppose a city has no public wastewater
collection and treatment system. All the
residents still use individual private septic tank and drain field sewage disposal
systems with some incidents of surfacing sewage and system failures. So, the need is certainly there to build a
public sewer system. However, that is a
huge project that is usually frightening and overwhelming for a City to consider. Sunrise can help a City plan, fund, design
and construct a public sewer collection and treatment system, but for the City
to decide to build a public project is a big step and such a decision is seldom
made at once. So to start, City leaders need
to make only a very tiny decision; they need to decide to just take a look to
see what might be done. We emphasize
with this first tiny decision, they are not making a big decision to build a
big project. We then prepare a
preliminary study to determining what the project would cost, look like, and how
the project would be funded and implemented.
The next small decision would better be made after reviewing the results
of the study. A cascading series of small
decisions are a comfortable approach for people. We would lead the City along
making a series of small decisions and subsequent work designed to move the
project forward. Each small decision is
built on the history of other small decisions as issues are resolved one by one. Eventually the last decision is to build the
project which, by then, is an easy and logical decision. In the same way, missionaries can help people
prepare for baptism.
In the 1950’s, the best way for a store to sell a new TV,
which was a big decision at that time for most people, was to reduce it to a
small decision. “Just take it home and
try it out. If you are not happy with
it, just bring it back.” Once the family
and children watched TV at home, how many TV’s do you think were brought back?”
Most people probably view joining the church as a big,
frightening and overwhelming proposition even with only a soft invitation to be
baptized after the first lesson. But as
you think about it, investigators are not even eligible to join our church
until they have received a confirmation of the truth from the spirit and have changed
their lives to live the commandments, all a series of small decisions. At first contact, we are not asking them to
make the big decision to join, but just a very tiny decision to take a look by
praying about it after listen to our message.
This is why assisting them to pray during the first lesson is so
important. It is their first tiny
decision leading to a big event.
Assist to Pray puts the investigator in a position that is
easier and less embarrassing to pray at the end of the lesson than to refuse
and not pray. Assist to Pray is
simple. Be sure to set a good example yourself
by giving a short, simple opening prayer.
Teach
the Doctrine of prayer:
·
“And when ye shall receive these things, I would
exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of
Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with
a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ,
he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of
the Holy Ghost.” (Moroni 10:4)
·
“…I will
tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost…” (DC 8:2)
·
“…ask, and
ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto
you; for he that asketh, receiveth; and unto him that knocketh, it
shall be opened.” (3 Nephi 27: 29)
Carefully and simply teach how to pray as explained
in PMG p. 73 and as follows:
Step 1 – Call on Heavenly Father. Say, “My Heavenly Father.”
·
Free agency is one of God’s greatest gifts to
his children. He usually gives blessings
after you initiate contact and first ask him to bless you. He will not force you to receive or do something. God protects your free agency by giving
promptings through feelings and thoughts. (PMG p. 96)
·
Talk as a child would talk to his or her father
– clear and direct.
·
Be humble, kneel in prayer when appropriate.
·
Pay attention to your feelings and thoughts –
the language of the spirit. (PMG p. 39)
Step 2 – Thank God for blessings you receive. Say, “I am thankful for…”
·
Ask the investigator to tell you one or two
things for which he is thankful.
·
Tell him what he said is perfect and could be
stated in prayer that way.
·
“Giving thanks always for all things
unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,” (Eph. 5: 20)
Step 3 – Ask God for blessings you desire. Say, “Please bless me with…”
·
Ask the investigator to tell you one or two
things that he desires.
·
Tell him what he said is perfect and could be
stated in a prayer that way.
·
Suggest he could also ask God to let him know
the truth of our message.
·
Explain he can expect an answer if he has real
intend. Real intend means he is willing
to follow the answer that he receives from his Father in Heaven. (PMG p.73)
·
Pray continually for your welfare and the
welfare of those around you. (Alma 34: 17-27)
Step 4 – End in the name of Jesus Christ. Say, “In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.”
·
“And they shall believe in me, that I
am Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and shall pray unto the
Father in my name.” (3 Nephi 20:31)
ASSIST TO PRAY PROCEDURE:
1.
Assume you are teaching a young man. After teaching how to pray, Say, “You need to
pray so your Heavenly Father can communicate with you. Would you say a brief closing prayer?” Ask
him to do it. Do not ask him if wants to do it.
(in Dutch, “Wou je het gebed uitspreken”, niet, “Wilt je…”)
This is not the place to instruct
about who is in charge in the house, or who gets to assign who says the
prayer. That can be done another
day. Right now you have taught him the
message of the restoration and how to pray.
You want him to break the ice and start praying while you are present to
listen. This is his crucial first tiny
decision.
2. Bow
your head, close your eyes and wait.
The next one to speak will give
in. If he speaks, he will be praying,
asking for more help or stating he is reluctant to do it. He must be the first to speak. If you speak first, you have let him off the
hook.
3. Do
not flinch, move or say anything, just wait for his prayer, even if the quiet
is a little uncomfortable for you.
If he asks you a question, answer
the question or if he states an objection then provide more instruction and
encouragement as needed in the method of prayer, then again follow steps 1 through
3 above.
Think about it. He has been lovingly instructed on why and
how to pray and two church representatives are obviously expecting him to do it
with their heads bowed and eyes closed waiting.
It is easier for him to do it than to disappoint you or embarrass
himself by refusing.
After the second iteration, let
the spirit guide you to give up or try a third iteration. Do not be a jerk or stubborn. After he has prayed, tell him it was well
done. If he refuses to pray, encourage
him to pray on his own. Then leave
without making a big deal about it so the impact of his feelings from what just
happened are not diluted. Assist to Pray
is the small decision that starts his conversion process moving.
President Robinson
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