[adapted from The God of Miracles]:

Be diligent. Be persistent. Tend to details. Do His Will. And don’t just toss up a quick prayer. Pray like you mean it, which means putting emotion behind it. Clean the slate; wait very patiently; and handle all with humility, reconciliation, and love.

If you love, you will not fear because God is love and He is around you.

This brings us to another important element: enthusiasm.

Be enthusiastic. Just as persistence indicates a deeper level of faith, so does enthusiasm. Be enthusiastic about prayer, about God, and about what you expect. To be enthusiastic is to live out the meaning of the word, for enthusiasm comes from two Greek words, en and theos, meaning, to be in God. There is no limit to what we can accomplish in His power. When we are not afraid of failure, but trust in the Lord, and persist, we always find ourselves with 12 baskets left over.

Enthusiasm is the energy that transcends darkness.

You may be tested for a “season” (on occasion, the Lord will hold back grace), but if you keep to it, are enthusiastic, and persevere, matters will fall into place.

The more you pray, the more results you will see, and the more your faith will grow, which unlocks the miracles that God has in store for you. Did you know that God has a storehouse of wonders He would like to give to you? When we die we’ll be shown this “storehouse” and be disappointed we didn’t attain more of what is in it.

How do we secure what God has earmarked for us, and especially how do we obtain what we need to fulfill our missions?

We pray and let the Holy Spirit inspire us. He does so consciously and through our subconscious. Prayer is the language of miracles, and the more we do it, the more we click into the rhythm of miracles. Reading the Bible aloud, reciting the Scriptural Rosary, and attending Mass are among the most effective for me. Most potent are prayers that go directly to Jesus. Asking Christ to be your Savior, and then speaking with Him as if He were right there, establishing a personal relationship, will take you to a new level. Pray from your depths during Mass when the Host is raised. Have saints and angels praying with you around you.

Repetitious prayers, especially ones said when we’re paying close attention to the words, count for much, in the way that God counts any acknowledgment; they open doors, even when they are said a bit absently; God takes note of such prayers because they indicate that at least we have Him on our minds! Pray in any way you are comfortable.

But spontaneous prayer from deep within is most effective. You must go to Christ. You have to treat Him as a friend. He doesn’t wish any distance from you. If it is a set prayer, pay attention to the words. Pray as slowly as you can. Envision the Lord. Envision the saints around you. Project yourself to God. Feel the angels.

Let it all hang out. Christ wants you to spill your troubles to Him in more detail than you relate even to your spouse. Involve Him in every word, decision, and struggle, pleading for the knowledge to know His Will. The Lord helps every person on earth, but those who pray open the door to that storehouse.

[resources: The God of Miracles]