At its simplest, prayer is a conversation between two friends. Conversation can mean words, or it can mean silence, or it can be any other way that feels natural for you to communicate with God and for you to notice God communicating with you. 

That's where we start: noticing God. 

I want you to be aware of God looking at you now. It could be God the Father, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit. Or all three. It's not important. What matters is you become aware of someone other than you who sees you. Try to imagine - or to guess - what God is thinking or how God is feeling, there with you. Then notice your response. 

You might simply sit there quietly, imagining God looking at you. You might talk to God about what you're noticing, how you are. Maybe it's a surprise to know that God is really there.  Gazing at you. Smiling. 

Or maybe it's not a great experience.

This is not unusual. The God we've come to know through experience of people and church can present as a harsh, critical God, glaring, not gazing at us. If  you are aware of this God with you, you don't need to go into a self-analysis session. Simply notice and talk to God about it, leaving some quiet at the end of the conversation to notice what, if anything, shows up in the space.

For the most part, prayer tends to be a bit dull. Like a good friendship, it has its highlights, but punctuated by long periods of sitting about drinking tea and not saying much of great interest or significance. All that matters is that you show up, be yourself. Know also that you have no need to fight for God's attention. Prayer is not you knocking at some celestial door, trying to waken God up. God is always there ahead of you, waiting for you.

God is looking at you now.