When we’re in trouble or find ourselves in a deeply discouraging situation, most of us pray for God to help us. The prayers our parents taught us as children to pray may have involved repeating a certain memorized set of words. When we got older we may have felt that there was something missing from our prayers, but couldn’t quite identify what it was. This is because true prayer is much more than simply reciting words at bedtime.

The world has no understanding of prayer; religion teaches us just the basic mechanics of it while neglecting the spirit behind it. As a result, we’ve learned to pray with an unbelieving heart; in short, to say a prayer and hope for the best. This kind of “hope” is riddled with doubt. To see any results at all, we need to pray in full faith that God will hear and answer us. “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and and you will have them” (Mark 11:24, NKJV).

Prayer should be a two-way conversation with God. He takes great joy when we come to Him to talk, but we need to let Him respond back to us. If we don’t have faith that He really will hear and answer us when we pray, we block ourselves from hearing what He’s trying to say to us. “Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; And hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. Let my teaching drop as the rain, My speech distill as the dew, As raindrops on the tender herb, And as showers on the grass” (Deuteronomy 32:1, 2, NKJV). Tuning out distractions and listening closely to Him refreshes and rejuvenates us.

God loves us and doesn’t want to see us struggle. He wants the best for us. When we’re confused and don’t know what to do about an issue, going to Him in prayer reveals things we could never figure out ourselves. “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not” (Jeremiah 33:3).

Giving thanks makes our prayers effective. We can all remember times when God intervened in our lives and things happened for which we couldn’t take the credit. “O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever” (Psalm 107:1). Our trust in His mercy and compassion allows Him to work in our lives to make good things come to pass. Reflecting on all the times when He rescued us out of bad situations puts us in the proper mindset to pray thankfully.

We don’t need to let the cares and distractions of the world intrude on our minds when we pray. Prayer brings us into His presence like nothing else, and being in His presence brings us joy and peace of mind. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6, 7, NKJV). Regularly clearing our minds and focusing on Christ keeps us at peace when the rest of the world is in turmoil.

Praying correctly brings us into union with our creator. He’s a God who loves us and wants only good things for us. Taking a break from the daily grind to spend time with Him keeps us centered and peaceful.