God gave humans a unique gift​—the ability to communicate with him and to express their feelings to him by means of prayer. The prophet David prayed: “O Hearer of prayer, to you people of all sorts will come.” (Psalm 65:2) But how can we pray in order to be heard and blessed by God?

Your personal prayers allow you to pour out your heart before God​—to convey your true feelings. (Psalm 62:8) The Almighty cherishes sincere prayers from the heart.

Although God has many titles, he has only one personal name. “I am Jehovah. That is my name.” (Isaiah 42:8) The name Jehovah appears some 7,000 times in the Holy Scriptures. Many prophets addressed God by his personal name. Abraham said: “Jehovah, please, . . . let me go on speaking [with you].” (Genesis 18:30) We too should use God’s name, Jehovah, when we pray.

God understands our thoughts and feelings no matter what language we speak. His Word assures us: “God is not partial, but in every nation the man who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.”​—Acts 10:34, 35.

However, to be blessed by God, we need to do more than pray. In the following articles, we will examine what we need to do.