I have about decided that when someone tells you that you need to "pray and ask God to change your heart" that, in actuality, they are the ones that need to pray and ask God to change their heart. Maybe not in every instance, but in most instances. The only time I can think of that that statement is meant sincerely, is the time when you yourself admit to needing to change your attitudes about someone or something. And then, the only people who should say it to you are people you consider very close friends, and those friends should be praying for that change for you, too. Any other time can just be misconstrued as being rude and insulting.
Why is it that we Christians think that such a prayer as that is going to suddenly move mountains and change minds? If the person being told to pray that prayer isn't ready to give all over to God, then it's not going to work. And, if you've really prayed about whatever the issue is already and think you're in accordance with God's plan, then you have no need to ask God to change your heart! To so many people, prayer is nothing more than a daily ritual, designed to make you feel as if you're somehow closer to God. But if prayer is just a ritual, then it's not real; and if it's not real, then you're no closer to God than you were before you started!
Maybe it's time that we all quit talking about prayer--and just did it. Just went off by ourselves and talked to God. And then didn't tell anyone about it afterwards. And didn't cajole everyone around you to pray, as if any one of us is holy enough to look down our noses at the rest of society. Maybe then, God would change everyone's hearts, even the people who didn't ask for that change in the first place.
There are too many Pharisees around today...and not nearly enough closets.