Prayer is an experience of connection. Like wifi, the strength of that connection may vary due to circumstances. When I am hurt, disappointed, weary, or complacent, my prayer life becomes hit-or-miss and monotonous. It hit me one afternoon that when I am trying to strengthen my wifi connection, I move closer to the signal (router), not farther away. I guess sometimes when my connection with God seems weak or interrupted it is my tendency to drift away rather than lean toward. It is counterintuitive to lean into prayer with greater urgency and deeper investment when I am struggling, and yet that is how the connection regains its strength.

My most recent practice for improving my prayer life is thanking God for "whatever he put into me (and you) to make the miracle of connection possible." This reminds me that communicating with God is a gift, and it is because HE wants this relationship.