Alma 13:28 ...tempted above that which ye can bear...

We read Alma chapter 13 this morning as a family. These are the words of Alma to the people of Ammonihah.  What a wicked people! Alma continues to make the effort to help them to understand that they are not subject to this, they can change.  Alma and Amulek preached with such power, with what I assume is no real confidence in who they would get to repent.  We know that Zeezrom does, and maybe it was words such as these that helped him to know that he could repent and he could avoid temptations.  Verse 28 reads:

28 But that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering;

We Truly need prayer to 'make it'. I hadn't really considered how essential it was until I read this verse. I knew from reading 1 Corinthians 10:13 that we would not be tempted above we are able: 

 13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

But the obvious key I was missing was the need for prayer.  The way to escape temptation is through prayer. 

Elder Bednar taught us about prayer, and specifically about how to use prayer to over come weakness.  I believe that the weakness is overcome as we avoid temptation.  Elder Bednar teaches a process of praying morning and night and having each lead and support until the next prayer.  The idea is to show gratitude for blessings seen between prayers (especially in regards to the temptation or weakness we are focusing on) as well as other aspects of the day behind us or ahead of us.