There are many times I have friends or acquaintances say the statement along the lines of, "I don't know how to pray."
I begin to share with them that praying shouldn't be scary. Praying shouldn't be something we turn our backs on because it doesn't meet a certain standard to someone else. Praying shouldn't be an action that we stress over.
The definition of praying is "To address a solemn request or expression of thanks to a deity or other object of worship."
But look at prayer like this instead. Prayer is driving down the road and thanking God for the ability to experience the day. Prayer is sending appreciation to God for your family who may get on your nerves from time to time. Prayer is asking God to watch over our troops as they are fighting for us. Prayer is requesting God to heal a loved one. Prayer is sitting in class and saying in your head "God, please help me just focus today."
Prayer is the simple act of talking to your best friend every second of every day. God loves nothing more than to see his children talking to him. He already knows your every thought, he knows your every step, but when we as his people show him that we want him a part of our daily walk, he gets so excited. Think of it like this.
If you are in a large crowd and you walk past a person that you did not know, but you made eye contact with. You never took the split second to introduce yourself or say hi to them. But yet you wonder how to get to know them? It doesn't add up. You see in order to get to know someone you have to make the effort to talk to them, you have to step out of your comfort zone to make the approach on a friendship you don't have with that certain person yet.
God is the same way. In order for us to have a personal relationship with Christ, we have to go to him. Christ is already waiting for us. He is standing right in front of you saying "Hey, I am right here. Come to me when you are ready. Tell me about yourself. Please, is there anything I can do for you?" but yet we are too scared that our very own creator will judge us. Do you want to know something crazy awesome about God?
He still loves you when you mess up. He still loves you for you. He still wants you. He is after your heart and all you have to do is simply pray to him. It's what you do with that offer from Christ that turns your relationship into something even deeper than talking to him. He becomes your number one priority, He becomes your best friend.
When you have any fear that sets in about not knowing how to pray, understand that it is talking to a man who died to know you.