The best way I know of to grow in prayer is to get a copy of Fr. Dubay's retreat and EWTN talks. The best are Contemplation and Prayer Quest. The key to growth is to understand the "snag stage"(first purification of John of the Cross)as Fr Dubay call it. You just stay in the presence of God, don't think or image. It will be either a loving pleasing presence with God or "dry and difficult, a thirsting for God or yearning, and it feels empty. There will be no images or concepts. It seems like nothing, but is the beginning of infused prayer(contemplation). Be like a catcher who seems to be doing nothing, but is waiting to recieve the baseball from the pitcher. He can only catch the ball if he stays still. If you stop recieving either a loving pleasing presence with God or "dry and difficult, a thirsting for God or yearning, and it feels empty then go back to meditive prayer. That is thinking, imaging in order to talk to God until you get the loving pleasing pre