Though prayer is less about any method and more about the love we pour into our time with God, it can be helpful to have a method to provide us with guardrails in our prayer time.

That said, I have found the following prayer method to be simple but also helpful in cultivating intimacy with the Lord:

Step 1️⃣ Recognize (the presence of God)

Take a few moments to recognize God’s profound presence before you, within you, and around you. Use a sacred image or imagine the face of Christ to help you. Our recognize His presence in your soul due to your Baptism.

Step 2️⃣ Read (Scripture or a passage from a holy book)

As with any conversation, it’s helpful to have a topic of conversation. Or in the case of mental prayer, meditation. Rather than focusing our time of prayer on ourselves, consider what part of Christ’s life or teaching you can mediate on.

Step 3️⃣ Respond (in conversation with Christ)

Allow your reading to be your way of allowing Christ to speak first. Then, after allowing yourself to receive his word into your heart, respond to Him from your heart. Pour your heart out to Him.

Step 4️⃣ Resolve (to grow in holiness)

As you end your time of prayer with the Lord, make a specific resolution that you can keep for the rest of the day that will help you grow in a specific virtue or overcome a specific vice. This is an important step if our prayer life is to bear fruit.