The reason I say it should be a relationship with our God is that, without one, how can we understand what we are supposed to do as children of the highest God? In other words, we need direction and know that we are in His hands and His will (Jesus Christ).
Our prayer life should be built on a relationship with God, supported by scripture such as Jeremiah 33:3: "Call to me and I will answer you." Other key verses emphasize constant prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17), seeking God diligently (Jeremiah 29:13), and finding peace through prayer (Philippians 4:6-7). Developing this relationship involves consistent communication, seeking God's guidance, and trusting in His promises.
For intimacy and dependence on Jesus Christ: " James 4:8 states- 'Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. ' This emphasizes that a relationship grows through active steps toward God. I love where it says in the Word of God Pray without ceasing, to me that says pray all the time, in and out of season. I believe it says that because, when we are praying, it does not give the enemy a chance to invade our minds or to keep us from what Jesus has for us to do through the Holy Spirit. This is why we, as believers, should always have the whole armor of God on at all times, never take it off. (Ephesians 6:10-18).
Something else I would like to emphasize is that a lot of the time, we do not always have to give Jesus our list of prayers; we sometimes need to listen to what answers God has for our prayers. Listening to the still voice of God helps us understand what to do when Jesus answers our prayers, with clarity and direction.