Paladins Pray

You know the difference between paladins and regular warriors? Paladins make and keep oaths to live worthily of divine favor, then they pray for it, and frequently get it. Without the oaths, the righteous living, the prayers, and the blessings, paladins would be no different that regular warriors. Each of those elements are essential, but today I want to focus on one in particular: prayer.

When the day begins, a paladin doesn't just check his equipment and don his armor, as a warrior does. He also prays. When the day ends, a paladin doesn't just check his equipment and make sure his sword is sharp. He also prays. When danger appears, a paladin doesn't just unsheathe his sword and jump into the fray. He also prays. When a battle ends, a paladin doesn't just clean his sword and re-sheathe it. He also prays.

Sometimes, it's just a quick, mental prayer for help, or giving thanks for help received. Other times, it's a longer, more meditative prayer, often accompanied by scripture study. Whatever the situation is, whether things are going well or poorly, whether the paladin has all the time in the world or no time at all, a paladin is almost always praying. And so should we be.

The phrase, "pray always," appears dozens of times in the scriptures. In the Book of Mormon specifically, Alma 33 talks about how we should pray in all places, and Alma 34 speaks on how we should pray for a variety of reasons. In addition, there are many General Conference talks that remind us to pray frequently.

One of the reasons we're asked to pray frequently is found in the Bible Dictionary; "The object of prayer is... to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant but that are made conditional on our asking for them." I believe that there are many of those, blessings that we qualify for and that God knows could help us, but that He's waiting for us to request before granting them. I may not fully understand all the reasons God asks us to pray for blessings (besides as a way to remind us where our blessings are coming from), but I know it's a good idea to do it. Sometimes God gives us challenges that we can't overcome without His help, and we get His help by asking for it through prayer. Paladins know this, which is why they pray for heaven's help as often as they need it.

I'm often faced with challenges that I could use God's help overcoming, yet so frequently, I forget to pray for help. It's not a pride issue most of the time. It's not that I don't want His help (though I would like to be strong enough not to need it). Mostly, it's just that I forget. I'm going to try to change that. Maybe if I make a conscious effort to pray very frequently, whenever I have anything I'd like to say to God, I'll say a quick, silent prayer. Perhaps if I teach myself to "pray always," I'll remember to pray for God's help when I need it, just as a paladin would.