From my book More Selected Prayers for Public Worship, a reminder that there is no right or wrong way of praying, God always being ready to welcome us as we are.
Almighty God,
save us in our dealings with you from becoming hooked on jargon
or preoccupied with etiquette;
from imagining that there is a prescribed way of approaching you
and that if we fail to use the right words or adopt the correct manner
you will fail to hear
or might even punish us for our presumption.
Teach us that you welcome us as we are,
and want us to approach you not in fear but in confidence,
as friend rather than foe,
assured that you see beyond the words of our lips to our innermost thoughts.
Help us, then, to pray spontaneously,
gladly,
honestly
and openly,
sharing every aspect of life with you
in the knowledge that you delight to listen and respond.
Amen.