How to Pray

I was going through a tough time. I had some serious questions about life.

For a while, I've wanted to spend so long on my knees, just communicating with God and hearing His voice, and discussing everything with Him. But I couldn't feel it. I couldn't feel God's love. I couldn't hear His voice. I couldn't sense the power of prayer as I had for so long in the past, so many times.

But I knew prayer was important.

One morning, I was listening to a Mormon talk, delivered Ted-talk-like. At the time I was in bed watching and listening to this presentation. As I listened, an idea came into my mind that was in the form of a visual. It was of Christ coming into my room right now, and sitting on my bed.

Immediately the imaginary-Aaron began to engage with Him. Immediately, my interaction was honest, meaningful, expressive of myself - even if it was Adam-and-Eve-like, hiding, even though Christ sees all and knows all.

Well, we began conversing, and it was very open. It was very meaningful. It was eye opening. It was heart opening.

It was then that I realized that, dormant within me, was the knowledge of who Christ is. I don't know all there is to know about Him, but I know enough to have faith in Him. I also realize that I shouldn't be content with just knowing about Him and His attributes, but real power comes into my life when I know Him - which is different from knowing about Him.

I realized that one can walk the bridge from knowing of Him to knowing Him through prayer. All my scripture study, my church attendance, my teaching of the gospel could be limiting me to only knowing about Christ, and preaching of Him. Sure, I may have deep gratitude, but Christ's role in my life could be confined to Him being someone I just chat with.

But if I speak with Him in real conversation, and see Him behave and act as I have learned He would in all those years of studying and pondering His life and His words, He comes to life. The Spirit guides in what He would say. I notice that says things that I wouldn't even think of, and I know that that is Spirit-inspired.

A big lesson for all Christians to learn is that He doesn't expect us to add more into our lives to reach His level. No. He desires to become more a part of our lives so that He can make us more. Real power doesn't come in just knowing about Christ, but in making Him a part of my life, forging a relationship with Him, and then working together in whatever comes.