Once a day or Once?

I am wondering what prayer is, what it really truly looks like? If I send out one prayer, will it go on continuously or do I need to repeat the prayer until it's answered? These are serious questions, I have no idea of the answers and would welcome your insight! This is truly as mysterious as the fog in the early morning!

If I pray in earnest for something... like Josh for example. Will those prayers be any more heard than the ones I pray once or twice a month about? I have certain friends that I pray for and have done for years, consistently (although not as frequently as I would like). Do those friends suffer my lack of regular prayers? If I pray for guidance, just once, will God be working in the between time, until I pray again? Or, alternatively should I pray for guidance every day?

This is what I know... Prayer = relationship with God. To commune with him, sharing doubts, fears, hopes, to seek help, to seek strength and guidance. This too is something I know... God is not Santa Claus, there simply to hand our wish list too while sitting on his knee. No, there is more to prayer than that, and there is more to prayer than having our own needs met. I have to believe that God enjoys hearing from us, just as a parent enjoys hearing how their child's day has gone. So, my  questions are not so much about the daily act of praying to communicate with Him, but rather when we have something particular that we are praying for.

I am seeking some answers to a few questions, I am seeking guidance. So, when seeking something really straightforward, do we petition him daily, twice daily, monthly or is once enough. If I ask him for an answer, can I leave it with him and know that that is enough? Will he even in the midst of me asking, or even before me asking, be working it out, getting the answer ready, and will he, even after my silence be working on getting me that answer? Is it a question of trusting him? Or, as I mentioned, should I be asking daily? The mystery is fun for a while but...

Oh how I wish he were hear... to just answer the questions right when I ask! :) (the impatience is showing again isn't it?)