When a Christian is facing a difficult ordeal or some problem in their life, they sometimes become weak before it, or that their resoluteness breaks down, and they lose confidence in themselves and in God in whose hands are all things and who governs all things in all the creation. 

Even if a person wants to seek God in their hardship and need, they often find that their mind is in turmoil, and they are perplexed: “How do I pray? What do I say?” The mind is scattered, half-asleep, incapable of functioning, and the stress is enormous. Turmoil and anxiety overwhelm the person, and despair is about to engulf them. There is no clarity of mind, which would permit them to stand for prayer, and they feel that they are about to give up. They ask, “What do I do?” Our teacher Paul the Apostle answers us and gives us direction in his epistle to the Philippians, saying, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”

—H.E. Metropolitan Youssef, How to Pray

2. A Designated Time

New habits and behaviors have become widespread these days among believers concerning prayer. For example, some of us often turn to prayer during driving a car, or while walking to work or from work, or even during work itself, or during the preparation of food or any other housework.

It is good for a person to pray always as the Holy Scripture commands us, but it is not good that this be the only time for prayer, and that this be the only way for prayer. There must necessarily be a designated time for prayer, as there should also be a designated place for prayer.

When I have an important matter and I need to make this matter known to God, is it fitting that I speak with God on this important matter while I am preoccupied with many other things I am doing at the same time? I absolutely need to designate time for this important matter, and also need a quiet place suitable for this purpose.

Tell me, brethren, can you, for example, take a shower on your way to work? Unfortunately, you do have a designated time for taking a shower, and a special place also for this purpose. Nevertheless, you complain that you neither have time nor a designated place for prayer.

Also, when you are having a conversation with a friend or anyone on the phone, then this person feels that you are not giving him your attention during the conversation, so he asks you, “Why are you not paying attention to me? Are you busy?” You answer him, saying, “Yes, I am busy, indeed.” He says to you, “Give me only a few minutes of your time, so that I can talk with you. Please give me some of your attention.” Similarly, when you are speaking with someone who is reading a newspaper and who does not want to lift his eyes from it to you, to listen to you, you feel that this person is paying you no attention. So you say to yourself that since this person is paying me no attention, I cannot talk with him. Also I will not sit again with him. Do you want God to say the same words about you?

The same thing exactly could happen with respect to the one who prays only while driving the car, cooking the food, or during any other daily routine duties. Therefore, there must also be a designated time and a quiet place for prayer.

—H.E. Metropolitan Youssef, How to Pray

Any act directed towards God is prayer.

—Fr. Antony Paul

Homily On Prayer – H.H. Pope Shenouda III

Prayer is the flower of gentleness and of freedom from anger. Prayer is the fruit of joy and thankfulness. Prayer is the remedy for gloom and despondency. If you wish to pray as you should, deny yourself all the time, and when any kind of affliction troubles you, meditate on prayer.

—Evagrios the Solitary

“The crown of every good endeavour and the highest of achievements is diligence in prayer. Through it, God guiding us and lending a helping hand, we come to acquire the other virtues. It is in prayer that the saints experience communion in the hidden energy of god’s holiness and inner union with it, and their intellect itself is brought through unutterable love into the presence of the Lord.”

—St Macarius of Egypt

Any child may be worried about the health of his parents,  maybe worried about something about his education—things like that. As for me, I found that I have a resource, which is prayer. If anything is not happening, then it means that I didn’t pray in the proper way or enough or I didn’t make sacrifices to prove that I am genuine in my prayer.

—Fr. Jacob Magdy

“Work comes natural; prayer doesn’t.  Work is tangible; prayer isn’t.  Work “accomplishes” something and makes me feel productive; simply put, prayer doesn’t.”

—Fr. Anthony Messeh

When God sees earnest desire, he takes passions out of us, says one early saint. Repentant prayer is the expression of such earnest desire.

—Dee Pennock, God’s Path to Sanity