Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God, at His disposition, and listening to His voice in the depth of our hearts.
(St. Teresa of Calcutta)

We must speak to God as a friend speaks to his friend, servant to his master; now asking some favor, now acknowledging our faults, and communicating to Him all that concerns us, our thoughts, our fears, our projects, our desires, and in all things seeking His counsel
(St. Ignatius of Loyola).

Prayer is the foundation and essence of our spiritual life. It is an opportunity to come into God’s presence and spend time with Him, to ask Him for whatever we need, and to just be with Him. It is only through prayer and study that we can grow and mature in our faith; it is only through a loving, active relationship with God that we can turn our hearts outward to the whole of humanity.