Why we pray?

Why we pray?
Most us pray to God/Ishwar/Allah, the All Mighty. But why? Is it necessary to pray? What happens if we don’t pray? Let us try to understand what is prayer then we can attempt other questions.
First of all, Prayer consists of three parts - Sthuthi स्तुति (Praising), Prathana प्रार्थना (Praying) and Upasana उपासना (self-enlightment). Sthuthi (praising) is praising of God/Ishwar/Allah of his qualities, capabilities, etc. Prathana (Praying) is the request to God/Ishwar/Allah for what we don’t have. Upasana (self-enlightment) is the highest state of prayer where we reconcile with God/Ishwar/Allah.
By Sthuthi (praising), we get some amazing qualities of God/Ishwar/Allah like love, kindness, fairness, justice, etc. Also, by Sthuthi (praising), we get more civilized by the Guna-Karma-Swabhaava (qualities-actions-character) we may gain from the Guna-Karma-Swabhaava (qualities-actions-character) of God/Ishwar/Allah. By Prathana (Praying), we become without pride and ego, get encouragement to do things, etc. By Upasana (self-enlightment), we may get to know about God/Ishwar/Allah (God realization).
Let us look at one of the Sthuthi (praising) in Yajur Veda.
स पर्यागाच्छुक्रमकायमव्रणमस्नाविरङ
शुद्दमपापविद्दम् कविर्मनीषि
परिभूः स्वयंभूर्याथात्यतोर्थान्
वृदधाच्छाश्वतीभ्यः समाभ्य: (यजुर्वेदं ४०.८)
“Sa Paryaagaachchukramakaayamavranamasnaavirang
Shuddhamapaapaviddham Kavirmaneeshi
paribhoo: swayam bhooryaadhathyordhaan
vrudhaachchaashwatheebhya: samaabhya:” (Yajur Veda 40.8)

God/Ishwar/Allah who is of unlimited qualities like Omnipresent, Fastest, Omnipotent, Pure, Omniscient, Ever shining, Everlasting, Creator of all while not created by any, etc. gives material knowledge through Everlasting Utimate Knowledge (Veda Vidya वेदविद्य). This is a Saguna Sthuthi सगुणस्तुति (Praising of qualities present), as it is praising various qualities of God/Ishwar/Allah. God/Ishwar/Allah never born or come in any body; flawless; never bonded by any nerves/veins; never have troubles, sorrow or ignorance. This is a Nirguna Sthuthi निर्गुणस्तुति (Praising of lack of qualities), as it is praising that God/Ishwar/Allah is away from bad characteristics like attachment, anger, etc. (रागद्वेषादि). The advantage of this Sthuthi (praising) is that whatever qualities we assume to be in God/Ishwar/Allah, we should try to have those qualities in us. We should become fair judge like God/Ishwar/Allah. The Sthuthi (praising) which becomes mere flattery, when we only praise qualities of God/Ishwar/Allah, without trying to improvise our deeds. Depending on which bad characteristics or bad habits we (like God/Ishwar/Allah) try to keep away and depending on the instructions (Vidhi विधि) and Obstructions (Nishedha निषेध), a Prathana प्रार्थना (Prayer) becomes Saguna सगुण (qualities present) or Nirguna निर्गुण (lack of qualities). It is very important that we should act as per the subject of the Prathana प्रार्थना (Prayer). The one who pray for exceptional intelligence, should work very hard to achieve it. We should pray only after putting all efforts to achieve the goal. Similary, we can understand Upasana (self-enlightment).