In these verses, the Savior taught the disciples and the multitude when and how to pray. He makes several important points.
In 3 Nephi 18:15, Jesus began by teaching the twelve disciples to pray always to avoid temptation. Under the old Jewish law, the faithful prayed three times a day. As long as they recited the morning, mid-day, and night prayer, that was enough. That they should pray always was a new rule, in which prayer became a continual course, not just a three-times-a-day event. Then in 3 Nephi 18:18, he turned to the multitude and reiterated that same guidance, “Ye must watch and pray always lest ye enter into temptation.”
Both statements, to the disciples (verse 15) and to the multitude (verse 18), begin with the words “Verily, verily I say unto you.” This introductory expression indicates the importance of the succeeding words, drawing attention and alerting the audience to the meaning. Here, the words “verily, verily” are repeated, and the emphasis, to “pray always lest ye enter into temptation,” is thereby doubled.
The admonition recalls the section in the Lord’s Prayer in 3 Nephi 13, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Specifically asking to avoid temptation probably should be a part of every prayer. Whereas it is important to thank the Father and ask for blessings, Jesus advised his followers to pray constantly in order to defeat Satan, which is only possible with the Lord’s help.
In 3 Nephi 18:18, Jesus next taught that they should always pray to the Father in his name. Approaching the Father in prayer throughout the day would keep them aligned, so to speak, with the North Star. Jesus was offering here to unite them with the Father through His name. That would have been something new for them. Had they been praying in the name of Jesus that way before? I do not think so. We do not have much indication of the way they prayed, but when you see Alma or Nephi praying, they are mostly praying to God and to the Lord, but not mentioning the name of Jesus.
In 3 Nephi 18:20, we are also taught that in prayer, the asker must believe that he will receive, and what is asked must be right. “Ask and ye shall receive,” is frequently quoted in its simplest form, but “whatsoever ye shall ask … if it be right, believing that ye shall receive it” is somewhat more precise. One example of this is found in 3 Nephi 19:9, in which the people prayed for what they most desired, and their righteous desire, the gift of the Holy Ghost, was given after they were baptized. Also, in 3 Nephi 19:24, the Nephites prayed “without ceasing, and they were filled with desire.” As they continued to pray to receive guidance, their hearts were transformed and they desired only what was right.
The more intently one prays “without ceasing,” the more one’s will becomes conformed to the will of God. When one desires what the Father desires, prayers will be answered. However, this will not happen without continuous heartfelt prayer.
In 3 Nephi 18:21, the people were next instructed to pray in their families. They should not just pray at church, and of course not on a Rameumptom. Jesus commanded them—and us—to pray in our families; we must pray at home, and Jesus added, “unto the Father, always in my name”—again that direction. To this, Jesus added, “that your wives and children may be blessed.”
Should asking, “Heavenly Father, please bless my wife and my children” be a part of prayer, or does it mean, “Have family prayer so that they will all be blessed”? Probably both. Our Heavenly Father is waiting to give blessings that are conditional upon our asking, and Jesus taught that blessings await the families who pray together.
There is nowhere in the Bible that talks about praying in the family. Nor is family prayer taught anywhere in the Doctrine and Covenants. So why do we have family prayer? Precisely because Jesus tells us to pray at home, to pray in our families. This is an important instruction. Latter-day Saints strive to follow this scripture and have family prayer at least once daily. This text is so easy to glide over, but this is an essential part of the foundational order of the Church. The family is the basic and most fundamental unit of mortal life and of celestial glory.
Book of Mormon Central, “Why Does Jesus Say that ‘Ye Must Watch and Pray Always’? (3 Nephi 18:15, 20-21),” KnoWhy 344 (July 26, 2017).