The notion of a two-way conversation with a God you cannot literally see or hear can feel confusing and frustrating. It takes time and practice to develop your comfort and confidence with prayer. Here are six things to expect as you develop a conversation with God:

• You will recognize that you are not God.
  Every time you pray, you are saying, “In my own strength, I cannot do all that I want to do. I need help.”
• You will realize the world doesn’t begin and end with you.
  When babies cry, someone usually comes and meets their needs, but this kind of attention does not last forever. Growing up is a painful process of slowly coming to terms with the reality that the world doesn’t revolve around you. Whether you are praying for yourself or others, you’re acknowledging someone else — God — is the center of the universe.
• You will gain strength from outside of yourself.
  Prayer is a way of inviting God into your life’s struggles. Prayer can be a reminder that God is the source of strength, wisdom and inner peace.
• You will surrender control to somebody else.
  Everyone is a control freak to one degree or another. Prayer allows you to admit to God that you need Him in the driver’s seat of your life.
• You will communicate your real feelings.
  As you continue to pray, you become more comfortable sharing your thoughts and feelings honestly with God. He knows everything about you and desires to hear from you the truth of how you are doing, both when things are good and when they are not.
• You will trust that God is with you.
  Unless you’re happy to admit that you talk to floors or ceilings, when you pray, you’re believing that someone or something is listening — and might even do something about the things you’re praying about.