To me prayer is anytime that I turn my attention to God and away from myself alone. It can be accomplished in a variety of ways and acts. Which forms of prayer do you use and how do you overcome distractions during prayer?
My preferred form is daily reading of the prayers (psalms and scripture) from the Maronite Divine Office. I also pray the rosary at night, assigning each decade to a different need.
How many of us skip the first two suggestions that Randy Hain makes?
Stage One of my prayer life was learning to thank God and be grateful.
Stage Two for me was learning to ask for forgiveness.
Stage Three was asking for His help and guidance.
Stage Four in my prayer journey has been learning to completely unburden myself to the Lord
I might add that Stage Five could be in learning to listen to the Lord in your prayer.
(He mentions listening down in the important lessons learned.)