Praying is us talking to God. IMO, I think of prayer as a conversation and I do the same things (well, some of the same things) that I do in person to person conversations when I pray. First, I eliminate all distractions. No tv, no driving, no nothing. Just as if you were having a conversation with someone else. Secondly, I just talk, voice my concerns, praise, etc. If you're praying for a friend and you start thinking about them, you could always talk to God about what it is about the person that makes them your friend. Plus, by talking about your friend, it's thanking God for providing such a person in your life. If your mind starts to wander into thinking about that new show on tv or a phone call you have to make, you can always "pause" the prayer (just as in a conversation and you have a phone call or something), refocus your attention, and go back to praying.
