Article July 23, 2007 Issue

Know it even more

BY JUDITH HARDY OLSON

When push comes to shove, it's not how much you know of God that matters. It's what you do with what you know of Him that counts. The kind of prayer that utilizes what you already know brings healing and an even deeper appreciation and understanding of His nature.

It never helps to focus on how miniscule or inadequate our understanding of God might be. But countless individuals have been healed physically, morally, and mentally—even of dire troubles—by hugging and holding on to what they do know of Him, pondering and acting on those thoughts until God was more to them than the problem, and healing came.

When I've faced what seemed an overwhelming challenge, I've found that thoughts like "This is too big for me" and "I don't know God enough to heal this" rush in. If allowed to stay in consciousness, these suggestions crowd out what we do know of Him. But I've also found that I can refuse space to negative thoughts (they're never from God!), and instead start praying with even one thing I remember about Him. Healing results when I stick and stay with God.