Why is Praying so Hard?

Do you have a 4-letter word to describe prayer?  For example: how about h-a-r-d? l-o-n-g? a  b-o-r-e? a d-r-a-g? a H-A-V-E to? Is prayer supposed to be that laborious? It is a struggle or a joy for you? Let’s think about that. How do YOU explain prayer to a non-believer? I expect a common explanation …