Is the basic purpose of prayer to get things from God? Certainly the Bible assures us that God hears us and, in response, gives us what we need. But is that the basic reason Jesus taught us to pray?  Communion with God is the one need of the soul beyond all other need. Prayer is the beginning of that communion, of talking with God, a coming-to-one with Him, which is the sole end of prayer, yea, of existence itself. We must ask that we may receive, but that we should receive what we ask in respect to our lower needs is not God's end in making us to pray. He could give us everything without that. To bring His child to His (God's) knee, God withholds that men may ask.
 
God wants us for Himself. He desires communion with us. His purpose in prayer is not to make us sit up and beg. He wants us to know Him. Prayer is His method to accomplish that. I used to play a game with my children when they were small. I would clutch some pennies in my hand and allow them to pry open my fingers to get the coins. My children would sit on my lap and work feverishly to get the money. Once they captured the coins, they would scream with delight and jump down to celebrate their effort. I loved having my youngsters laugh and play while sitting on my lap. The pennies were insignificant.  Like children, we often concentrate on the pennies in God's hand and ignore God's glorious presence in our lives. We pray fervently for the new job, or for a mate. And when we gain the answer to our prayer, we have little more to do with God. If we are only after the pennies, we are missing out on "fullness of joy" and "pleasures for evermore."
 
While God in His love does give good "stuffs" to us, He offers us more than that. He offers us Himself. Those who are merely satisfied with the trinkets in the Father's hand miss the point of prayer --- the privilege of God's presence and the opportunity of talking with the King of kings and Lord of lords. True joy is far deeper than happiness; we can feel joy in spite of our deepest troubles. Happiness is temporary because it is based on external circumstances, but joy is lasting because it is based on God's presence within us. As we contemplate God's daily presence, we will find contentment. As we understand the future God has for us, we will experience joy. Don't base your  prayer-life on circumstances, but on God. "Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. (Psalm 16:11)