According to Rebbetzin Leah Kohn's class on Shabbos Candles. http://www.torah.org/learning/women/class20.html# "Our sages set forth three reasons why we light Shabbat candles. First, for peace and harmony in the home; second, to honor Shabbat and third, to create pleasure." My own rebbetzin, Hindel Levitin, says each week that lighting the Shabbos candles is a time for women to connect directly to Hashem and ask for the things we most desire. As such, it is my favorite time to pray. I love bringing in the light and then covering my eyes as I repeat an ancient blessing that ushers in Shabbos. I spend the time talking directly to Hashem about the things closest to my heart such as my mother's health, peace in my family, and my bashert (soul-mate.) I occasionally add prayers for my single friends, or for a couple that is having trouble at home. I sometimes wonder who is praying for me.
Even when my family abandoned most traditions during a rough patch of my childhood we always lit Shabbos candles (often with my mother using a coffee filter as a head covering.) I had my own candlesticks as a young girl and I lit with her each week. Other than the yearly passover Seder and the High Holidays, my prayer life was fairly limited. I am happy to be focusing on prayer now.
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