Prayer

I'm writing this post because I want to hear about your "prayer strategies." Sometimes I have a hard time concentrating long enough to pray even the shortest of prayers. I want to spend prayer time with the Lord, praising Him and sharing my burdens. I want to be a prayer warrior for others. I do spend time in prayer every day, but I just don't feel like I'm giving God the undivided attention and devotion of which He is so worthy. I have found that it helps to write down my prayers in a journal at night before I go to bed, but I don't often have the time or energy at the end of the day to do this, plus I want to learn how to "pray without ceasing," which would imply the ability to pray at any time of the day. So, please share! What time of day works best as prayer time for you? Is there a certain place you go to pray? Do you pray with your eyes open or closed? Do you pray out loud or silently? Do you write out your prayers (or answers to prayer) in a journal? Do you prefer to pray alone or with other people? Do your prayers tend to follow a certain structure (I've heard some people recommend beginning with thanksgiving, then presenting requests, and so on)? If you would like to share anything else about your prayer life, please do so! I would love to hear it!