The photoelectric effect is a phenomenon where electrons, which are negatively charged particles that are lacking in energy. are ejected from a piece of metal when beams of light are shined on it. Since an electron has a tendency to sever ties just as soon as it has gathered enough energy, and since any beam of light is capable of carrying energy to any and all electrons hovering around the hunk of metal, you would think that as long as the light is bright or intense enough and shined for long enough, then the electron will eventually soak up enough energy to rocket off to freedom, no matter what kind of light was shined on it. But that's not what happens. It doesn't matter how bright or energetic the beam of light is, the electron will not leave unless the light has the right kind of frequency or wavelength. I'm not going to get into an explanation as to why that is, not least because I don't really understand it, but I thought that this photoelectric effect could serve as a useful explanation for how prayer and revelation works. If we imagine that our prayers cause our Heavenly Father to shine a certain kind of light on the problem for which we are seeking an answer, the duration and intensity of our prayers and the subsequent revelation that they bring may not be enough. Going back to the experiment above, you can shine a 5 Watt or a 5 megawatt laser onto a piece of calcium, for a second or an hour, but those electrons won't budge. But if you shine even a very weak blue light onto the same piece of calcium, then away the electron goes. Similarly, we can pray and fast and with all of the intensity that we can muster for a certain outcome, but if we are not praying on the correct wavelength, or, in other words, if we are asking amiss, then all of the faith and the blood and sweat and tears in the world will not force an outcome that runs contrary to the wisdom of God. On the other hand, if our will is in complete alignment with our Heavenly Father's, then we may need to pray barely at all for the outcome to be realized. If we have been praying and pleading for weeks or months or years with nothing to show for it, then maybe it's time to shine a different kind of light on the situation. If the yellow light isn't working, then let's switch to green or purple. If we've been praying for a yes answer, and haven't got it, then maybe we need to ask for a different kind of answer, or ask a completely different kind of question. Rest assured, there is some exact combination of light and truth to be shined on any and every question and trial that we face, and as long as we give heed to the guidance of the Spirit and have the humility to set aside the kinds of answers that don't fit, we will discover the correct wavelength in the end.
