For the Strength of Youth
5 Truths and 5 Tips for More Meaningful Prayer
For the Strength of Youth August 2025

5 Truths and 5 Tips for More Meaningful Prayer

By Michelle Wilson

Church Magazines

I knew God was real, but I sometimes wondered if He heard me.

young woman praying

Illustration by Jarom Vogel

Growing up, I was taught that I could talk to God through prayer, but there were times when I didn’t feel I was very good at praying. I struggled to talk to Him and to hear Him. As I grew older, I discovered five truths and five tips that have made my prayers more meaningful and helped me feel closer to God.

Truths

  1. God is your Heavenly Father with a body of flesh and bones (see Doctrine and Covenants 130:22). He is a real person you are talking to.

  2. God answers each of our prayers in a time and way that’s best for us. “God hears every prayer we offer and responds to each of them according to the path He has outlined for our perfection.”

  3. There are lots of kinds of prayers, and all are good. Prayer can be formal, informal, filled with gratitude or pleading, short or long—out loud or silent—and more.

  4. You can pray anytime and anywhere.

  5. Praying isn’t about getting what we want from God but discovering (and accepting) what He wants for us.

Tips

  1. Keep a prayer journal. Write down questions you have before you pray, and record impressions you get after (and even during) your prayers.

  2. Begin and end your day with prayer.

  3. Kneeling helps as your “casual prayer turns mighty.”

  4. Keep a list of people you can pray for each day.

  5. Ask others to pray for and with you.