“The first thing we should do [to bring strongly before us the joyous vision of the kingdom] is emphatically and repeatedly express to Jesus our desire to see Him more fully as He really is. Remember, the rule of the kingdom is to ask. We ask to see Jesus, and not just as He is represented in the Gospels, but also as He has lived and lives through history and now, and in His reality as the One Who literally holds the universe in existence. He will certainly be aware of our request, just as you would be aware of anyone expressing their desires to you in your house.

We should make our expression of desire a solemn occasion, giving at least a number of quiet hours or a day to it. It will also be good to write down our prayer for His help in seeing Him. We should do this privately, of course, but then we should share what we have done with a knowledgeable minister or friend who could pray with us and talk with us about what we are doing.”

From The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God. Copyright © 1997 by Dallas Willard. All rights reserved. Used with permission of HarperCollins Publishers.