Pray

Prayer is the raising of one's mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God.²  When we pray, do we speak from the height of our pride and will, or out of the depths of a humble and contrite heart?³  He who humbles himself will be exalted;⁴ humility is the foundation of prayer.  Only when we humbly acknowledge that we do not know how to pray as we ought,⁵ are we ready to receive freely the gift of prayer.  (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #2559)

2. St. John Damascene, Defide orth. 3,24: PG 94, 1089C.
3. Ps 130.1
4. Cf. Lk 18:9-14
5. Rom 8:26