There are three types of prayer, some say: asking, thanking, and praising. I'm not so interested in praising, which leaves asking and thanking. The Big Book focuses on these.
How do you thank God? Say, 'Thank you, God, for ...'
Asking prayers can be petitions: 'God, please direct my thinking!'
These don't involve a response.
Asking prayers can be requests for input: 'God, what shall I do today?'
These do involve a response.
All you need to do is pause after the question and see what comes into your head.
The Big Book talks about inspiration, an intuitive thought, or a decision. Don't worry about the distinction between these. They are all involve something 'coming into your head'.
How do you know if it's from God?
You don't, but prayer increases the likelihood that what comes into your head is from God.
However, ninety-nine per cent of input that flows from prayer is obviously God's will, like doing your work well, making your bed, or being nice to people. For the rest, you can compare it to the principles of the programme or ask a grown-up.
I've not investigated books, pamphlets, or guides on how to pray. Actually, that's not true, I've investigated them and got bored, confused, or overwhelmed almost immediately, so I've set them aside.
This system has worked for me for, well, 28 years now, so I'm going to stick to it: ask and listen.