This is a Christian's guide on how to pray and to be sure to learn to pray effectively to God; one of the most important things that Christians can do every day--at least say thank you to express you gratitude. If you are new to Christianity, this article will be especially helpful. Remember: God loves you, and loves to hear from you.

[edit] Steps

Act upon your faith so you can believe whether you understand or not that God is the creator of the universe, is your Heavenly Father, and is an important part of your daily life. It is essential to develop good, regular prayer habits so you can be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Begin your prayer by saying "Dear God", "Dear Lord", "Heavenly Father". From here, begin thanking and praising God for all of the good things in your life, be specific. Here is an example: "Dear God, Thank you for my family; that my Dad is doing better and will soon be out of the hospital and thank you for helping me make it on to the varsity volleyball team."
Ask God to forgive but first forgive others so God can forgive your sins. Unforgiving of others may prevent the Lord from honoring your prayers for forgiveness. First ask yourself, "Do I have anything against another that I need to settle?" Make it right, and confess the wrong deed. Again ask yourself, "Was I mean to anyone, did I lie, cheat, steal, or disobey my parents?" Ask God to forgive you for anything that you did wrong that day.
- It is best to name the sins you know that you have committed, and then ask forgiveness for the ones you've forgotten or omitted. Ask the Lord to reveal your sins to you.
Tell God how much you love and adore Him. If you are new to being a Christian, this may seem hard for you to do and will take time; it is OK to feel uncertain during this part of the prayer. You may sing a song of praise.
Ask God to help you with things that may not be going well in your life (i.e., "Please help me in math class, help Jane to stop fighting with Amy, and please help Joe to come and learn about your kindness and forgiveness."
Ask Him for his guidance and protection throughout the day and night, thank Him for every day and you will start to recognize when He is blessing you, e.g. when you crossed the road and there was no traffic coming both ways.
If you choose, you can end your prayers by saying, "Thank you God, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.", "In Jesus' name, Amen" "Thank you" or just any way you want to. He will answer them whether or not you end your prayer.
It is important to God for you to remember that you can talk to Him just as you would an earthly father. He is easy to talk to. He IS Supreme and He is all things but He remains your Heavenly Father.
- Then you and your friends can tell unbelievers about Christ and the Father to prove god is real to them by the Holy Spirit so you yourself and they can help bless the whole world with Christ's Love.

[edit] Tips

It is better to pray in a quiet area to avoid distractions.
Closing your eyes and kneeling is not required; you can pray anywhere and at any time. Just try to rid yourself of distractions so you can give God your full attention.
If you have bad dreams or insomnia, pray in a spirit of "thanks giving" and make "showers of blessings" for others in your prayers instead of begging for good dreams and sleep.
At all times pray for God to do His will. In times of trouble you can ask God to take your suffering away.

[edit] Warnings

Don't beg and plead; have faith: give thanks and bless others and God.
Exchange bitterness and fear to get hope!
God works in mysterious ways that may not be known quickly. Your prayer is always heard but as Jesus said "Thou shalt not put the Lord thy God to a test"
God will always answer your prayers. The answer, however, will not always be yes (sometimes it is "no" or "in a while"). Do not quit praying or believing in God just because he did not give you what you wanted immediately.

[edit] Things You'll Need

You may want to have a Holy Bible with you, so you can refer to the prayer that Jesus taught, and the words, instructions and warnings that God has spoken through the writers of the Bible. You can ask a trustworthy pastor or friend about any other books that may help you in your prayer life.
The Bible states that those who agree together will be heard. Pray with a friend or family member (or a complete stranger!).