prayer – mistaking kindling for logs

This morning I was reading A Method for Prayer, specifically “The Second Discourse Shewing How to Spend the Day with God” and landed on this:

“We must not only pray solemnly in the morning, but that desire which is the life and soul of prayer, like the fire upon the altar, must be continually burning, ready for the sacrifices that are to be offered upon it.”

A Method for Prayer

That trigged a thought: This is assuming I pray solemnly (in a very serious and sincere way) in the morning, and is encouraging me to keep that fire for prayer stoked during the day.
But what if I’ve been doing the opposite?  What if I have been mistaking the little prayers throughout the day (the kindling and small pieces of wood put on the fire to keep it alive, but not roaring) as my prayer time.  
It seems like most days I never get past tossing on a few sticks and kindling.
If I don’t make the time to lay down bigger logs on the fire my house–my soul, will never be warmed by it.  Maybe that’s why things seem confusing and cold?
What do you think?