Prayer is the foundation and the source of life for a flourishing Christian life. Without it our faith withers and eventually fades, but many of us today struggle to understand prayer or find time to integrate it into our hectic daily life. Before determining which method of prayer is right for our specific spirituality and vocation, it is helpful to explain why prayer is so necessary for the health of our souls.

When we pray, we meet God in a heart-to-heart dialogue that involves both listening and genuine outpouring of what is on our minds and hearts. Essentially, prayer is an act of love. Just like any human relationship that grows stronger with regular communication, our relationship with God becomes a source of love through prayer. The more we pray, the greater our love, which increases our desire to be with God more often.

There are many different forms of prayer, all of which are useful at different times in our lives or for specific reasons. They include worship (or praise), contrition, thanksgiving, and supplication (which includes both petition and intercession). Worship is our expression of praise that is rightfully due to God, in which we proclaim the wonders that he has done (perhaps in creation). Praising God often stems from a deep respect and fear of the Lord, for the more we recognize our finesse, the more we appreciate the greatness of God. Contrition includes expressing sorrow and remorse for our sins. Through prayers of contrition, we recognize our need for God's mercy. When we offer thanksgiving prayers, we recognize all that God has given us. Gratitude promotes a deeper love for God when we make this type of prayer more habitual. Finally, supplication includes petition prayers, that is, when we ask God for what we need, and intercession, or asking God to grant others what they need.

The Bible is filled with promises, encouragement, and illustrations that emphasize the secret of effective prayer. It is said that James had his knees worn down from his constant habit of kneeling. If so, we have the testimony of a man who had proven the secret of effective prayer in his life and practiced what he preached.

Prayer is above all our communication with the Lord. Communication has a purpose, and the purpose usually determines the mode and details relevant to effective communication. Jesus' disciples were Jews and they knew how to pray religiously. After walking with Jesus for a while, they realized that Jesus did not pray like them. In fact, he continually had results in a way that surprised them.

We may have learned the basic forms and methods of prayer, but how does all of this fit together so that we can practice it? This app contains some tips for establishing and maintaining a daily prayer life that will enrich your relationship with God and deepen your love for Him.

God can speak to you through your mind, but it comes through your mind. It is a primary way that God speaks. The ability to tell which thoughts are from God and which thoughts are from yourself will become easier with experience.

learn how to pray effectively - This app helps explore the benefits of prayer in the Spirit - Learn the one hour prayer cycle. It is a simple tool to help you expand your prayer life. Anyone can learn to develop their prayer life.