Yes, I pray. To me, prayer is talking to God, my heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ—His Son, my Savior—in the power of the Holy Spirit.

I begin each day by meditating on and praying the Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen” (Matthew 6:10-12).

Our Lord taught His disciples to pray this prayer. I find that praying the prayer and contemplating each phrase focuses my prayer life. For instance, praying that God will forgive me like I forgive others makes me a much more forgiving person.

I have sought in my life to cultivate an attitude and posture of prayer where I am persistently praying for forgiveness of sins (“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” 1 John 1:9) and seeking to appropriate spiritual discernment and wisdom (“Be filled with the Spirit” Ephesians 5:18).

Also, I try to close every prayer as my Savior closed his prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Yet not my will, but yours be done" (Luke 22:42).