Mantras elevate your consciousness so that a spiritual quality enters into your meditation. You create a positive thought form that becomes a surf-wave of positive energy you can ride. A force is created that counteracts destructive thoughts and feelings in your life; a surf-wave you can ride instead of waves to swim up against.
Mantras can contain a prayer, a wish or a confirmation.
You can build your heart quality into a mantra so it becomes a sacred sentence and thought form. You can also create your own mantra according to the heart quality you have chosen. If e.g. patience is the heart quality you have chosen, then it could sound like this: “I am patience”. You can expand the mantra by saying “I am master of patience”, and thereby confirm that your goal is to become a master of patience.
We must not underestimate the significance of the use of mantras. (The relation between mantras and thought forms takes further explanation.)