Most of us, no matter what our denominational upbringing, first know prayer as a means of asking favor, a request for supernatural intervention in our lives and in the course of human history. Yet prayer is more than mere supplication, more than giving thanks, more than celebrating and expressing passion. It is the closest thing to attaining genuine face-time with an invisible divinity, the best way we know to foster a direct and intimate relationship with the Divine - a relationship we hope will lead to our transformation into a more perfect embodiment of that divinity during our time on this earth.