Prayer is the divinely appointed means of obtaining grace. "Ask, and you shall receive; that your joy may be full." "Know ye that the Lord will hear your prayers, if you continue with perseverance." "Every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened." "Who is the man that can understand his own way?" God alone knows both the obstacles and the helps that you are to meet in your way. Cry out, then, with the Royal prophet: "Make the way known to me, wherein I should walk; for I have lifted up my soul to Thee." St. Liguori says: "We should pray earnestly to God to make known to us His will, whatever may be the state He has in store for us. Do not fail to recommend yourself in a special manner to our holy Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, beseeching her to obtain for you the grace perfectly to fulfil the will of her divine Son." "In all your doubts and anxieties," says St. Bernard, "think of Mary, call upon her name." _2. Freedom from Sin._ When mortal sin reigns in the soul, it acts like a dark cloud veiling from us the light of heaven: "For wisdom will not enter into a malicious soul, nor dwell in a body subject to sins." "Your iniquities have divided between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you." "The way of the wicked is darksome; they know not her into the wilderness, and I will speak to where they fall." God loves to communicate Himself to those whose hearts are free from the defilements of sin. "Blessed are the clean of heart; for they shall see God." "The clean of heart" shall see God, not only in heaven, but even in this life; they shall see Him in His works and recognize His providence in all His designs: "To them that love God, all things work together unto good." Hence he who wishes to ascertain the state of life which he should embrace ought to keep himself constantly in the friendship of God: "Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you." _3. Humility._ "Every proud man is an abomination to the Lord." "God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble." "The prayer of him that humbleth himself shall pierce the clouds; and he will not depart till the Most High behold." _4. Retreat._ God loves to communicate His choicest favors in the silence of retreat: "I will lead her into the wilderness and I will speak to her heart." If you cannot make a regular retreat, at least avoid all dissipation of mind; retire into the solitude of your heart, after the example of St. Catharine of Siena and other saints, always remembering that God is near you and that He wishes to speak to your heart. _5. Counsel._ "My son, do thou nothing without counsel, and thou shalt not repent when thou hast done." Your best adviser is your confessor. Through his own vocation he receives special helps from God.