The first step would be to acknowledge that we have a need. Our whole being must be filled with desire to learn. Then recognize that there is help out there and ask in our hearts or in our minds or in simple words for what we need. The results may surprise us. But we need not ask unless we are ready to act upon the answer we will receive.
Socrates, the great Greek philosopher, once was approached by a young scholar to teach him all he knew. The great thinker took the youth into the middle of a stream. There he put his hand on the young man's head. The lad was honored at this kind of attention, but when the master teacher pushed his head under the water, he became alarmed and finally because of his lack of air, he put forth a mighty effort and freed himself. Then he angrily demanded to know why he had been treated in that way. The old teacher smiled and said, "When you want to learn as badly as you wanted breath, I'll teach you."
If we ask for the peace Jesus promised his disciples, we must be prepared to go through the process which they had to go through to receive this precious prize. If we ask for happiness, we must want it enough to be prepared to follow the steps which lead to happiness. If we want riches, we must be prepared to stick to the rules that lead to riches. If we do not desire enough to follow the formula, there is little value in asking for it.