How does this prayer thing work?

What is prayer but a conversation with God?  How do you converse with others?  Do you use flowery language (not usually)?  When you talk with someone, do you just ask them requests or pepper them with demands?  Hopefully not.  Is a good conversation one-sided? 

I don't know about you, but conversations are better for me when there is at least 2 parties involved.  By now, those of you reading this perhaps have had conversations with others.  You have learned how to talk, how to interrupt probably, and how to listen.  Yes you say, but that is with another person usually.

I would suggest to you that God is the same way.  You might not audibly hear God respond, but I believe he is listening and does respond in various ways. 

Prayer is simply a tool we can use.  It is the thumb of the 5 tools that I will emphasize in these writings/ramblings.  Hitchhikers use their thumb as a way of communicating a need for a ride.  We can use our thumb (prayer) as a means of asking God to move us as well.  Where do you want to go?

Jesus offered us a guide for prayer in Matthew 6:5-14.   ⁵ “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ⁶ But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. ⁷ And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. ⁸ Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
   ⁹ “This, then, is how you should pray:
   “‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
¹⁰ your kingdom come,
your will be done,
   on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us today our daily bread.
¹² And forgive us our debts,
   as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³ And lead us not into temptation,^[a]
   but deliver us from the evil one.^[b]’
   ¹⁴ For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
You might have heard this referred to as "The Lord's Prayer".  One point that I get out of this example is that Jesus recommends that we pray for our Daily bread....not a lifetime's worth.  Ask God for what you need today, now.  In my experience, when I do that, I tend to focus on today, not future events that have not and might not occur. 

A point I would like to make is to keep prayer simple.  As with the soldier from yesterday's ramblings, you will get more comfortable with practice.  I truly believe God wants us to talk with Him.  When we do, I have learned that God will talk back, in one way or another.

The thumb (prayer) can be a really valuable and useful tool.