My hands get really dry this time of year. It started to get extremely bad last year, and just as expected, it's just that bad again this year. My hands get so dry that the skin cracks and bleeds, mostly around my knuckles. So I like to take care of it by using what I call "lotion therapy." I don't think about it at first, or I'm just too lazy, but I let my hands get drier and drier until they get to the point of hurting every time they're touched by even something as light as the air moving across them, and then I put on lotion a couple times a day (it's worth noting that applying the lotion to hands with open wounds from the cracked skin hurts even worse than they did just from the cracked skin) until my hands heal enough that they don't hurt anymore, and then I stop using the lotion until I'm in desperate need of it again.
Sounds kind of silly, huh? It would be better, instead of waiting until it hurts and using the lotion, which hurts more, just long enough to make them feel better, to use lotion once a day and prevent my hands from getting that dry in the first place. But this logic that I use with my hands is actually the same logic we as humans often use with our spirits. "Lotion therapies" such as prayer, scripture study, repentance, going to Church, etc., tend to be used as a last resort when our spirits are in need of healing, instead of being put on the forefront like they should. Alma 34:17-27 says
17 Therefore may God grant unto you, my brethren, that ye may begin to exercise your faith unto repentance, that ye begin to call upon his holy name, that he would have mercy upon you;
18 Yea, cry unto him for mercy; for he is mighty to save.
19 Yea, humble yourselves, and continue in prayer unto him.
20 Cry unto him when ye are in your fields, yea, over all your flocks.
21 Cry unto him in your houses, yea, over all your household, both morning, mid-day, and evening.
22 Yea, cry unto him against the power of your enemies.
23 Yea, cry unto him against the devil, who is an enemy to all righteousness.
24 Cry unto him over the crops of your fields, that ye may prosper in them.
25 Cry over the flocks of your fields, that they may increase.
26 But this is not all; ye must pour out your souls in your closets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness.
27 Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you.
It is written throughout the scriptures that we are to pray, not only occasionally when our spirit is worn, but all the time. We need to go to the Lord in prayer continually.
2 Timothy 3:15
And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Studying the scriptures makes you wise unto salvation through faith. In other words, by studying the scriptures, we can know what is required of us to return to our Heavenly Father. Just opening them up every once in a while isn't going to cut it. We have to study continually, diligently.
How often should we repent? As often as we sin. How often do we sin? Every day of our lives. We must continually repent, striving to live the commandments and better ourselves, to rise above our mistakes, and allow Jesus' blood to wash our sins away. Repenting every once in a while, or only when our spirit's so badly stained with sin that it hurts, is not the way to go.
I could probably go on and on with examples. Using lotion therapy for our spirits is no more silly than using it on my hands, only when they get so bad I have no choice. Just as I need to take care of my hands by using lotion regularly, we need to take care of our spirits by utilizing the gifts our Father has given us, not just occasionally, or when our spirits are so badly damaged we feel desperate to heal them, but continually nourishing and strengthening them, so that we can withstand the fiery darts of the adversary.
