Prayer is a vital tool needed to have direct communication with God. Whether you are praying alone or with a group it is important to know why you should pray and how to pray. Matthew 6: 5-13, Jesus tells the disciples specficially how believers are to pray. This the blueprint how all prayers should be done.
The model prayer was shown by Jesus to the disciples in Matthew 6: 5-13. We are to use this a blueprint to our prayers.
Praying the scriptures is great tool to use also. The book of Psalms is a collection of songs to the Lord that glorify Him. Praying the scriptures allows us to use God's Word to direct our thoughts back to Him, so we don't default back to repetitive prayers.
In the book 'Praying the Bible' by Donald Whitney, he explains to more about the benefits of praying scripture.