Finding strength on your knees

"I am grateful that I was [able] to turn to God almost daily...[it] taught me truly how to pray and get answers to prayer and taught me in a very practical way to have faith in God.  I came to know my Savior and my Heavenly Father in a way and to a degree that might not have happened otherwise...I learned to trust in the Lord with all my heart.  I learned to walk with Him day by day."  Elder D. Todd Christofferson.
I had an interesting experience this week.  I have really become lazy with my prayers over the last several months.  I am always so tired when bedtime comes, that I decide I am too tired to get on my knees to pray.  So I lay there and try to pray, but fall asleep within minutes.  I had a situation come up this week that I really, really needed the Lord's help with.  I felt like I needed to fast for His help, but I can't right now since I am still nursing.  I asked Him what I could do to show my willingness to make a sacrifice, to show how important His help to me was.  The answer came to me that I should get on my knees to pray.  Not just at that moment, but every time I pray.  So I did.  In doing so, I realized what a disservice I had been doing to myself.  The moment I knelt down to pray, I felt this incredible peace and clarity, and quiet strength.  And the thing He asked of me was so simple.  It is the smallest of sacrifices, if you can even call it that, to show our love and respect for our Heavenly Father who does so much for us.  I thought, how selfish of me, to expect so much of Him, but to not even being willing to kneel down in prayer.  And I was only cheating myself.  Committing to do this simple act allows me to feel the windows of Heaven open, and allows me to feel like I am in direct communication with my Heavenly Father.  It is amazing what a difference it makes.
I just want to share my simple testimony of prayer.  I really feel like it is one of our greatest blessings.  We can pour our souls out to Him, and He will listen.  We can pray about anything, and Heavenly Father will answer us.  As we express gratitude to Him in prayer, we are able to realize how much He is involved in our lives, and how we never go unnoticed.
This Christmas season, I am grateful for the life of the Savior.  I am grateful for His perfect example, and His perfect love.  Sometimes life will knock us down, but He will be there to pick us back up and carry us forward.  I am grateful for this.  I am grateful for what He sacrificed to make that possible.
The song I chose for this post perfectly explains why we need to pray.  Enjoy!