"I Don't Even Know How to Pray"

I was chatting (actually, texting)  a little while ago with someone who is facing perhaps the darkest storm in her young life. This person is not saved, and to the best of my knowledge has never been involved in church at all. I mention it, because I find it peculiar that she has sought me out to talk with and ask for advice. I never had met her until just a few weeks ago... so why me?  I asked her that question, why it was me that she was seeking counsel and advice from. She could not really give me an answer, so I told her, that what had drawn her to me was the Christ she saw and felt in me. She said she just knew that she needed help and that I knew how to get in touch with God. I told her that she could talk to God just as easily as I could and she responded, "But I don't even know how to pray." She asked me if I could just pray for her. I told that I was in fact praying on her behalf and have been for weeks, but that she needed to pray and talk to God for herself. She said something interesting... that she did not know the "right language" or what to say to get God's attention.

I'm not going to finish our discussion here... but I wanted to share this. I wonder, how many people out there think there has to be "the right words" to get God's attention? I wonder if they think it is like a formula that you must say, and if you did, THEN God might hear and answer. Once again, I'm reminded that we (the church) are failing at reaching this world. They don't understand at all. They think it is like some secret club where we learn code language by which we communicate with God. That breaks my heart.