A Servant Before the King
When Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai's son fell ill, his talmid Rebbi Chanina davened and the boy recovered, and the great teacher explained why his student's tefillah was answered.
It is told that Rebbi Chanina ben Dosa went to learn Torah under Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai. While he was there, his teacher's son fell gravely ill.
Rabban Yochanan turned to his talmid. Chanina, my son, he said, ask for mercy on him so that he may live. Rebbi Chanina lowered his head between his knees and poured out his heart in tefillah, and the boy recovered.
Rabban Yochanan said of himself: If ben Zakkai had sat with his head between his knees the whole day, no one in Heaven would have paid him any attention.
His wife was astonished. Is Chanina greater than you? she asked.
No, he answered her. But he is like a servant who stands before the king. A servant comes and goes in the king's house all day long, and he can speak to the king about anything at any hour. I am like a minister before the king. A minister enters only when he is called, and he speaks only of great matters of state.
The great teacher did not envy his student. He understood that there is a closeness to Hashem that comes not from rank or learning but from living every moment in His presence, the way a faithful servant is always at home in his master's house.
Source: Gemara, Berachos 34b (Talmud Bavli); English: The William Davidson Talmud (Koren–Steinsaltz translation), Berachos 34b.
A servant can speak to the king about anything, at any time. Try living that way this week. Choose one ordinary moment each day, such as waiting for a bus, stirring a pot or looking for parking, and speak to Hashem in a few words of your own about exactly what is in front of you. Thank Him for something small or ask for help with something small. You do not need a special place or a special occasion. The more often you come in, the more at home you will feel.