Whether you are a Christian or practice some other spirituality all together, prayer is one of the few practices that is shared. There is no right way to pray, even though there are many who would like to think otherwise. In the fall of 2021, I took a class for my Masters of Divinity program on preaching - and one of our tasks was to write a prayer, according to a prescribed form. Well, I'm here to tell you, if you are in class, by all means, write whatever you have to in order to get a good grade on the assignment, but otherwise, God doesn't care how you pray. Yes, the Lord's prayer is considered the "perfect" prayer, because it is the method shown to the people of God by Jesus. But prayer is more than a formula. Prayer is a discussion with the Devine.
One of my New Year's Goal/Resolution is to begin a prayer routine. While I often pray at weird times - when I'm in the shower, driving to work, on a hike - there is something connecting about a routine. A prayer before bed, a prayer when you wake up, or maybe just something short and sweet during mid-day. Whatever the time, consider this a date with the time.
Creating the routine can be hard, but here are a couple of tips.
Choose the easiest time for you to remember to pray. If you are always rushing off to work in the morning, barely getting there on time, then perhaps a wake up prayer schedule is not the one for you. Don't set yourself up to fail. Pick the time that works the most logical in your schedule.
Use an app. If you can think it, there's an app for that, and the same is true for prayer. There are a ton of prayer apps, many with scheduling, sample prayers if you get stuck, and scripture. One particular app I use, literally called "The Daily Prayer" app. I have it set for my ideal time, 12 noon, and it buzzes me every 15 min until I look at the app and pray for the day.
Remember that prayer doesn't have to be fancy, there is no formula, just whatever is on your heart. But if you need inspiration, the Psalms are a great place to start. My favorite one, when I don't know what else to pray, is from Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God."
Never underestimate the power of a silent prayer. Sometimes, all we need is a quiet moment. Let your mind wander, meditate on the silence, the wide open, whatever is there in the space between.