This is my rosary. It was given to me on my first communion, and I have my grandmother’s rosary as well. I’ve always loved rosaries; I think they are so beautiful. Their worth, however, really doesn’t go beyond beauty and sentimental value. We don’t need a rosary or any other holy relic to communicate with the Lord; He is with us always—ready and willing to have a conversation.

Prayer is a precious gift; it’s our ability to communicate with the true and living God.

If you’re ever struggling on where to begin in prayer, simply remember the word pray—

P- praise and thanks (worship)

R- repent

A- ask

Y- yield (wait for God’s response)

Matthew 6:8 tells us God knows exactly what we need before we even ask Him. So then, why do we even need to pray?

Prayer is about relationship. Every time you pray, you are building something with the Lord. Imagine being in a marriage and your spouse suffers a great loss. You know your spouse is hurting, and you may even know what it is they need at that moment. Hopefully, though, you will listen to them and allow them to freely express themselves. No new information is necessarily gained from listening, yet the bond between the couple is strengthened as the suffering spouse humbles themself, allowing their loved one to bear their burden. When we pray, we humble ourselves before God and exercise our faith.

My next point is this: prayer benefits us; it reveals things to us that wouldn’t have otherwise been revealed. Many people choose to journal as it’s a good way to organize their thoughts and get them out of their head. Prayer is a lot like that. In fact, a lot of people benefit from a prayer journal.

Pray about everything. The strongest bond between two people exists when they are completely open, honest, and have no secrets. Do you have a best friend, a spouse, a boyfriend or girlfriend, or a sibling who knows you inside and out? They’re probably the first person you think to call when you need advice or someone’s opinion. They’re probably the first person you text whenever you see a funny meme or video you want to share. That person is probably the one you cannot wait to go to whenever you have good news or bad news. The bond created between the two of you is the same bond God wants us to have with Him. It’s not that we can’t have it with anyone else, but we are called to have it with Him first.

I pray about everything. Nothing is too great or too small to pray about. After all, God knows what’s on our hearts before we even bring it to Him. If I see a funny meme and don’t know who to send it to, I thank God for the person who created it and for a sense of humor that brings me joy. In the past, when I struggled with deciding on what outfit to wear, I asked for His advice. Now, I ask His advice even when I’m not struggling because somehow I always feel the most confident after I ask for God’s opinion! Pray about everything, even the things you think would be insignificant to God. If it matters to you, it matters to Him!

The last point I want to make is that prayer is one of the ways God reveals His goodness. Prayer is a two way street. It’s not about just us speaking but also yielding to God’s response. When we pray, we must allow God to answer. If I desire something in my heart, and it comes to pass, then it’s assumed good fortune or good luck. When I pray specifically for something, and it comes to pass, God’s goodness is revealed.

The beauty in prayer is that is changes things. Even if our circumstances aren’t always changed, our hearts will be as God gives us a new perspective. Most importantly, it gives us the opportunity to build something—a bond that will be indestructible, and in the end, the goodness of God is revealed.