That’s what I keep learning these days. Prayer isn’t about presenting God with new information that He didn’t have before. It’s about shifting my perspective, because every time I pray, I’m confessing who’s really in charge (God) and who’s really not (Me).

Prayer doesn’t change God. Prayer changes me. Prayer changes the way I see my problems, my world, and my God.

Too many times, my prayers are one-sided conversations that consist of my wishlist, like God’s some kind of cosmic vending machine or celestial Amazon website. Prayer is as much about stillness and listening as it is petitions and requesting.

It’s impossible to truly pray for your enemies and them to still remain your enemies. At some point, you start to see them the way God does and love them the way God does. That’s where prayer is changing you instead of how you thought prayer would change those people you were praying for.

For me, the prayer that works best every single time is still, “Your will be done.” In whatever circumstance or crisis, praying God’s will to prevail is to pray for God’s glory and your greatest good.

And of course the best way to get better at praying is not to read books about prayer or hear sermons or lectures about praying but to actually pray.