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"Prayer is the first step to becoming a saint. We don't have to wait to become a saint. This is the way to become a saint. And prayer is easier than we think." - Peter Kreeft

Acknowledge:

Take some time to acknowledge what is going on in your heart and mind right now. There is nothing going on in your heart that God is not interested in, so just take some time to quiet down.

Relate:

Now share what's going on in your heart and mind with God. This is the "you talk to God" part. You can do this by writing in a journal as if you are writing a letter to Him or just speaking out loud or speak to Him in the silence of your heart. If you are thankful, thank Him...if you are scared, tell Him about it...if you are happy, tell Him why. The most important part of this is that you are honest with Him; don't just tell Him what you think He wants to hear...be authentic and share with Him like you would with a friend.

Receive:

Now is the time to listen and receive whatever God desires to give you in response to what you have shared with Him. If you have fully shared your heart, then you are in a place to listen and receive. This can be difficult because it requires us to wait and sometimes learn to hear His voice. Yet it's important to persevere and not skip this part! Try sitting in silence for a few minutes and then read a passage from scripture (begin with a small passage from the Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John...or you could use one of the daily mass readings.)

For example, this first time, you could pray with Mark 1:35

Jesus goes off to be alone and pray to the Father. Why do you think Jesus would have needed to go off alone to pray? What would Jesus' prayer time have been like? What types of things would He have prayed for? What do you think the Father told Jesus in His prayer time? What do you think the Father and Jesus want to say to you right now?

Respond:

This is a time to respond to what you have just received. Responding in this way should be natural, just as it's natural to say thank you when someone gives you a gift. It is not something forced or a burden to say thank you when you genuinely receive a gift. This response should naturally flow from what God has given you in prayer. Be careful not to make up a response just to do something 'holy' but rather just be honest with where you are. If all you have to respond with is to say thank you, then that is enough. You can respond in conversation through journaling or speaking to Him aloud or in your heart.

How could this prayer time affect your life? Are there any changes God might be asking you to make in your life? How is He strengthening you by what He has given you in prayer today? What does it seem that God is asking you to focus on today?

"Give me a person who has 15 min of mental prayer daily, and I will give you a saint!" - St. Teresa of Avila

Explanation of this prayer method from Franciscan LEAD 2010