The Way of Prayer

In Peacemaking, Henri Nouwen writes, "The invitation to a life of prayer is the invitation to live in the midst of this world without being dropped in the net of its wounds and needs. The word 'prayer' stands for a radical interruption of the vicious chain of interlocking dependencies that lead to violence and war and for an entering into an entirely new dwelling place. It points to a new way of speaking, of breathing, of being together, of knowing -- truly, to a whole new way of living."
What has prayer meant to you? What practices of prayer have been most meaningful? What experiences of prayer can you recall as particularly meaningful, particularly painful, particularly joyous, particularly funny?