A seventeenth century Bishop, Jeremy Taylor spoke of prayer in this way:
Prayer is the ascent of the mind to God.  It is an abstract and summary of Christian religion.  Prayer is an act of religion and divine worship, confessing His power and His mercy; it celebrates His attributes and confesses His glories and reveres His person and implores His aid and gives thanks for His blessings; it is an act of humility, condescension and dependence expressed in the prostration of our bodies and humiliation of our spirits; 
It is an act of charity, when we pray for others; it is an act of repentance, when it confesses and begs pardon for our sins and exercises every grace according to the design of the man, and the matter of his prayer.
Almighty God who hast given us grace at this time to make our common supplications unto to thee; and doth promise that when two or three are gathered in thy name thou wilt grant their requests; Fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants, as may be most expedient for them; granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting.  Amen
Sir Walter Raleigh’s Prayer written on the fly leaf of his Bible.
Even such is time that takes in trust
Our youth, our joys, our all we have,
And pays us but with earth and dust;
Who in the dark and silent grave,
When we have wandered all our ways
Shuts us the story of our days;
But from this earth, this grave,                                                                     this dust,
My God shall raise me up I trust.
Lord Shaftesbury’s prayer:
O God, the Father of the forsaken, who teaches us that love towards people is the bond of perfectness and the imitation of yourself; open our eyes and touch our hearts that we may see and do the things which belong to our peace.
Strengthen us in the work which we have undertaken; give us wisdom, perseverance, faith and zeal; and in your own time and according to your pleasure prosper our work; for the love of your son Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen
