Hazrat Jabir narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to teach us Istikhara in the same way as he used to teach us a surah from the Qur'an. And he used to say: When any matter concerns you, perform two units of voluntary prayer. Then mention the matter. And then supplicate as follows: O Allah! I seek goodness from You by Your knowledge, and I seek power from You by Your power, and I ask You from Your great bounty. For surely You have power and I have no power, and You know and I do not know, and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah! If this matter is better for me in my religion and my worldly life and my hereafter, then decree it for me, and make it easy for me, and bless me in it. And if this matter is bad for me in my religion and my worldly life and my hereafter, then turn it away from me and turn me away from it. And decree goodness for me wherever it may be, and then make me pleased with it.