This Shabbat we study Chapter 2 of Ethics of the Fathers, which contains the following:

"Rabbi Shimon said: Be meticulous in reading the 'Shema' and in prayer.
When you pray, do not make your prayer a routine [perfunctory] act, but rather entreaty for mercy and supplication before G-d, as it is stated, 'For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in loving-kindness, and relenting of the evil decree.'"

Our Sages taught that a Jew shouldn't look upon praying as a burden or heavy yoke he can't wait to be relieved of each day. Praying to G-d is one of the foundations of Judaism, as it helps instil an awareness that G-d is in charge of the world, and that His Divine Providence extends to every single detail.

Prayer is a commandment for everyone, great and small. The positive commandment to ask G-d to provide us with our needs applies to all Jews, regardless of how close or estranged we imagine ourselves to be from Him. The King listens to all His subjects equally, and no matter is too unimportant to "bother" Him with.

Another point: Prayer is different from learning Torah in terms of the perception of our relationship. When a Jew studies Torah, he feels like a student before his Master. But when we pray to G-d, we feel like children entreating our Father.

No one said praying is easy; that's why it's called "avoda," which literally means "work." But as Chasidut explains, prayer is "the ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reaches to heaven."
(Incidentally, sincerity is the key here, even if a person doesn't understand the meaning of the Hebrew words; the only stipulation is that "they be said imploringly and from the depths of his heart.") For every Jew has the power and potential to climb up the rungs to even the very highest of spiritual levels, thereby connecting himself to his Divine Source.