1. Be honest with yourself and God.

2. Make every thought a prayer — your thoughts create your reality.

3. Make your life your prayer — in other words, "walk your talk."

4. Pray regularly — not just when you have a crisis or special need. Develop your own morning and evening prayer rituals.

5. Pray in a group — it's both comforting and powerful.

6. Be willing to trust and surrender completely, turning the matter over to God. It may be difficult to surrender, especially in the middle of a crisis, but the more you pray that God's will — not yours — be done, and the more you are willing to surrender, the more you can trust in your faith that all will be well.

7. Give thanks — every time you pray, be grateful that you are blessed with your life and the continued opportunities that you have to connect with others. When you experience feelings of appreciation, your heartbeat becomes more rhythmic, skipping fewer beats.

Source: "The Miracle of Prayer," by Rosemary Ellen Guiley