In the Gospel of St. Luke, it is recorded that the followers of Jesus asked Him “Lord, teach us to pray.”

That same verse says that those followers noted that John the Baptist had taught his followers how to pray. So the question was a natural one to ask of a spiritual master.

That desire to pray is itself a part of our human nature. It comes from a movement of our souls. Those followers of Jesus were demonstrating their hunger for God that came from being with Jesus. Prayer both answers that hunger and it makes us want more.

Their request, however, is not a simple desire for instruction. It is not like saying, teach me how to change a flat tire, or how to hem a skirt. Those are limited finite actions. They have a beginning and an end. And when they are over, for the person who has done them, they are truly finished. But prayer will change the one who prays. Rightly entered into, prayer will always open us more and more to God and He will strengthen us, purify us, and draw us closer to Himself, even if that process is slow and drawn out over a lifetime.

In a time and era when we are surrounded by so much secularization and when we witness such a loss of faith, we rightly wonder, how can we resist? How can we keep our families and our young people alive in the faith? One of the most basic responses must be to have a life of prayer.

If you had to answer today to the question, “what is your prayer life like,” what answer would you be able to give? If someone were to ask, “do you pray daily?,” and the answer is not clear, that is a dangerous sign.

Of course Jesus’ answer to His followers was to teach them the Our Father. So we have the great gift of knowing a prayer that comes so directly from Christ Himself. And if we are at a loss for words, the Hail Mary and the Glory Be are other great prayers. String them together and start to pray the rosary. There are also countless books, devotions and even web sites with prayers. Reading that Bible we all have in our house or in our bedroom is another great place to start.

But the heart of prayer is our personal, one on one conversation with God. It’s a conversation that, like any chat with a friend or family member, will be on-going and yet changing each day as our life changes. It’s a conversation that talks to Him about our joys, our sorrows, our worries, even the funny little things that happened today.

Why not write down at some point a list of intentions to pray for lest you find yourself stuck or in a dry moment after your opening sign of the cross? We need to pray for the world, for our fellow Christians and Catholics whose faith is being put to a violent test, for sinners, for the dying, for more priests. Add your own personal and family intentions.

We have all heard the response that, in this busy age of ours, who has time to set aside regularly for prayer? But really, don’t we all know that if we truly want to do something, we can find the time? So if you walk to work, or to lunch, why not say a prayer? If you are driving and listening to the radio, why not turn it off for a few minutes and use the time for prayer. The point is, it can be done.

I am sometimes moved by people’s stories about their personal prayer and how it has grown. Talk to people who go often or even daily to weekday Masses. Or listen to those who take a regular hour in the chapel for Eucharistic adoration. Many times they will say that they simply started with some prayers and that hunger led them to the Eucharist as they sought something more.

Prayer is not just about us personally or individually. Our prayers go wider and deeper than we know. By God’s design, they bring the world and the human race closer to God. The world needs our prayers.

What is your prayer life like?