Just about everyone prays to God at some time for some reason, with some people praying only in the most dire of emergencies, whereas others pray at particular scheduled times and/or events, while still others prayonly when they feel the need or desire to do so. When it comes to the actual style of praying, there is quite a variety of prayer used, to which some people merely request God's beneficence and wisdom in their life, others simply pray the Lord's Prayer, still others make specific requests of God for themselves or for others, and so forth. It can be said, that prayer to our Lord in all of its forms has its merits and that every prayer offered to God has its place. Yet, it can also be said, that few take the words of Matthew 6:8 to heart which reads: "…for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him," signifying that if we do all the talking during prayer, rather than instead petitioning God for His wisdom and love, we err in our prayer to our own detriment. Simply put, if we present to God a laundry list of things that we believe that we need or desire or want to occur, this signifies to God that we perceive that our wisdom is greater than His.
Of course, you could then argue if God already knows what we have need of, why pray at all, since it would already appear that God has this covered, so to speak. The primary reason to pray to our Lord is to submit to Him that we are able, willing, and ready to communicate and to receive his wisdom into our lives, into our thoughts, and into our actions. In order, though, to be in that receptive mood, we first have to condition our mind as well as our body to listen to our Lord, which means that we must empty our mind as much as we possibly can of our own desires, of our own will, of our own ego, and present ourselves in a manner of supplication and surrender to our Creator. In Luke 5:16 we read: "And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed," even the Christ, knew that distractions, interruptions, and the normal busyness of everyday life would all act as interference to the reception of the channel of the Godhead to his heart.
The most effective and valid prayer comes not from the mere reciting of prayerful intonations but instead that prayer must come from deep inside of the heart of the petitioner, to which there should be a palpable sensation that in your quiet contemplation you are now reaching out to touch the very source of all wisdom, itself. There can be nothing greater in this life than a true connection with God. The Bible is full of stories of great prophets that have spoken to chosen disciples, as well as those who have heard the voice of God Himself. To hear God's voice, to feel it in your very being, is possible for all of us, but first we must quiet ourselves, surrender ourselves, and yes have within us a great, ineffable longing to touch the very finger of Creation, itself.