Enos and the Three Prayers
Here is a quick analysis of Enos and his three prayers he offered to the Lord:
Prayer 1 : "I cried unto [God] in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens."
Prayer 2 : "I did pour out my whole soul unto God for [my brethren, the Nephites]. And... I was... struggling in the spirit." And the Lord answered: "I will visit thy brethren according to their diligence in keeping my commandments."
- Enos prayed for his friends, the Nephites—his brethren, those who already knew God.
- His prayer was in line with God's will, but God required a condition of obedience by the Nephites that Enos was initially unaware of.
- The duration of his prayer(s) was likely many days.
- The blessings of his prayer came over a lifetime.
- Many souls' agency was involved in Enos receiving his desired blessing. Most of these people were directly within Enos' sphere of influence.
- His prayer required a great amount of effort and understanding.
- Gratification was delayed longer, and the pain involved in waiting was higher.
Prayer 3 : "I prayed unto [God] with many long strugglings for my brethren, the Lamanites. And... after I had prayed and labored with all diligence... I desired of [God] that if... the Nephites should... by any means be destroyed, and the Lamanites should not be destroyed, that the Lord God would preserve a record of my people..., that it might be brought forth at some future day unto the Lamanites."
These three prayers; these three desires; and these three answers show that Enos truly had a gift for unlocking the most under-utilized power in the world, the power of prayer.
Application 1 :
During his first prayer, Enos struggled greatly before the Lord to obtain what he (Enos) wanted. But by the third prayer, Enos had learned to pray with many long strugglings to find out what God wanted! What do we seek in our prayers?
Application 2 :
It is not coincidental that the prayers and desires progressively increased in difficulty. The prayer that required the most resilience to achieve came last because the prior prayers built up enough courage and strength within Enos to be able endure the trial of faith that the final prayer required. This is the staying power of conversion. God answers prayers in great wisdom and mercy.
Application 3 :
Our prayers, vain as they may seem to us, are never wasted! Our efforts, fruitless as they may appear to us, are never wasted! Our pains, pointless as they may seem to us, are never wasted. Enos prayed and worked and cried his whole life for the Lamanites. Yet he was only promised that the Lamanites would be restored after Enos' lifetime. In the short-term, Enos had failed. But none of his prayers, efforts, or pains were in vain. In fact, the prayers and efforts and pains that seem the most vain often turn out to be, in time and through the Lord's hand, the most meaningful of all!
A Final Thought :
As was already mentioned, it would have been impossible for Enos, during his first prayer for the Lamanites, to know exactly what the Lord's will was regarding the Lamanites. Enos had to struggle and work for many long days and months and years to obtain the Lord's will and to then align his desires with that will! He had to study God's word. He had to gain life experiences with the Lamanites. He had to "seek diligently to restore the Lamanites unto the true faith in God." He had to receive revelation upon revelation from God.
Only after all of this was Enos' understanding able to develop to the point that he could desire such a specific desire as this: "this was the desire which I desired of [God]—that if it should so be, that my people, the Nephites, should fall into transgression, and by any means be destroyed, and the Lamanites should not be destroyed, that the Lord God would preserve a record of my people, the Nephites; even if it so be by the power of his holy arm, that it might be brought forth at some future day unto the Lamanites, that, perhaps, they might be brought unto salvation."
This was very specific desire. This was not a haphazard nor instantaneous desire. This desire was formed and molded and cultivated through many long strugglings in the spirit. Let us resolve that our prayers will begin to reflect this same power and resilience!
Prayer 1 : "I cried unto [God] in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens."
- Enos prayed for his own soul; for the forgiveness of his sins.
- His prayer was in line with God's will.
- The duration of his prayer was a day and a night.
- The blessings of his prayer came relatively quickly.
- His agency was the only factor involved in Enos receiving his desired blessing.
- His prayer required a moderate amount of effort and understanding.
- Gratification was delayed only a short time, and the pain involved in waiting was relatively small.
- His prayer was in line with God's will.
- The duration of his prayer was a day and a night.
- The blessings of his prayer came relatively quickly.
- His agency was the only factor involved in Enos receiving his desired blessing.
- His prayer required a moderate amount of effort and understanding.
- Gratification was delayed only a short time, and the pain involved in waiting was relatively small.
Prayer 2 : "I did pour out my whole soul unto God for [my brethren, the Nephites]. And... I was... struggling in the spirit." And the Lord answered: "I will visit thy brethren according to their diligence in keeping my commandments."
- Enos prayed for his friends, the Nephites—his brethren, those who already knew God.
- His prayer was in line with God's will, but God required a condition of obedience by the Nephites that Enos was initially unaware of.
- The duration of his prayer(s) was likely many days.
- The blessings of his prayer came over a lifetime.
- Many souls' agency was involved in Enos receiving his desired blessing. Most of these people were directly within Enos' sphere of influence.
- His prayer required a great amount of effort and understanding.
- Gratification was delayed longer, and the pain involved in waiting was higher.
Prayer 3 : "I prayed unto [God] with many long strugglings for my brethren, the Lamanites. And... after I had prayed and labored with all diligence... I desired of [God] that if... the Nephites should... by any means be destroyed, and the Lamanites should not be destroyed, that the Lord God would preserve a record of my people..., that it might be brought forth at some future day unto the Lamanites."
- Enos prayed for his enemies, the Lamanites—his lost brethren, those who knew not God.
- His prayer was not initially in line with God's will. This is because God's will regarding the Lamanites was so specific and precise that it took Enos many long prayers and clarifying revelations before he was able to understand and desire God's will!
- The duration of his prayer(s) was many, many days. It was an overarching, life-defining prayer of his entire life.
- The blessings of his prayer came beyond the span of his lifetime!
- Even more souls' agency were involved in Enos receiving his desired blessing. Most of these people were entirely outside of his sphere of influence.
- His prayer required the greatest amount of effort and understanding.
- Gratification was delayed longest, and the pain involved in waiting was the highest.
- His prayer was not initially in line with God's will. This is because God's will regarding the Lamanites was so specific and precise that it took Enos many long prayers and clarifying revelations before he was able to understand and desire God's will!
- The duration of his prayer(s) was many, many days. It was an overarching, life-defining prayer of his entire life.
- The blessings of his prayer came beyond the span of his lifetime!
- Even more souls' agency were involved in Enos receiving his desired blessing. Most of these people were entirely outside of his sphere of influence.
- His prayer required the greatest amount of effort and understanding.
- Gratification was delayed longest, and the pain involved in waiting was the highest.
These three prayers; these three desires; and these three answers show that Enos truly had a gift for unlocking the most under-utilized power in the world, the power of prayer.
Application 1 :
During his first prayer, Enos struggled greatly before the Lord to obtain what he (Enos) wanted. But by the third prayer, Enos had learned to pray with many long strugglings to find out what God wanted! What do we seek in our prayers?
Application 2 :
It is not coincidental that the prayers and desires progressively increased in difficulty. The prayer that required the most resilience to achieve came last because the prior prayers built up enough courage and strength within Enos to be able endure the trial of faith that the final prayer required. This is the staying power of conversion. God answers prayers in great wisdom and mercy.
Application 3 :
Our prayers, vain as they may seem to us, are never wasted! Our efforts, fruitless as they may appear to us, are never wasted! Our pains, pointless as they may seem to us, are never wasted. Enos prayed and worked and cried his whole life for the Lamanites. Yet he was only promised that the Lamanites would be restored after Enos' lifetime. In the short-term, Enos had failed. But none of his prayers, efforts, or pains were in vain. In fact, the prayers and efforts and pains that seem the most vain often turn out to be, in time and through the Lord's hand, the most meaningful of all!
A Final Thought :
As was already mentioned, it would have been impossible for Enos, during his first prayer for the Lamanites, to know exactly what the Lord's will was regarding the Lamanites. Enos had to struggle and work for many long days and months and years to obtain the Lord's will and to then align his desires with that will! He had to study God's word. He had to gain life experiences with the Lamanites. He had to "seek diligently to restore the Lamanites unto the true faith in God." He had to receive revelation upon revelation from God.
Only after all of this was Enos' understanding able to develop to the point that he could desire such a specific desire as this: "this was the desire which I desired of [God]—that if it should so be, that my people, the Nephites, should fall into transgression, and by any means be destroyed, and the Lamanites should not be destroyed, that the Lord God would preserve a record of my people, the Nephites; even if it so be by the power of his holy arm, that it might be brought forth at some future day unto the Lamanites, that, perhaps, they might be brought unto salvation."
This was very specific desire. This was not a haphazard nor instantaneous desire. This desire was formed and molded and cultivated through many long strugglings in the spirit. Let us resolve that our prayers will begin to reflect this same power and resilience!
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