When you pray, what’s the first thing you say?
Do you immediately begin telling God what’s weighing on your heart? Do you bring Him your worries, your struggles, your needs, and the things you’re hoping He’ll change?
There’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, Scripture encourages us to bring our requests before God.
But something stood out to me during Home Group this week.
We were studying prayer, specifically looking at Ephesians 3:14–21 and Psalm 146. And as we began praying together, I witnessed something beautiful.
Before anyone brought up a request, we were thanking God.
Not for what we wanted Him to do next, but for who He already is.
For His faithfulness. His goodness. His mercy. His love. His sovereignty. For being a God who hears us, cares for us, and remains faithful even when we aren’t.
And it got me thinking.
How often do we approach God with our needs before acknowledging who He is?
Prayer Is More Than Asking
I think sometimes we unintentionally turn prayer into a list of requests.
We ask for healing, provision, guidance, strength, peace, and answers. We pray for our families, our friends, our circumstances, and our futures.
And again, none of those things are wrong.
God wants us to come to Him. He invites us to cast our anxieties on Him because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7).
But prayer is more than asking God to do something.
It’s communion with Him.
It’s an opportunity to draw near to our Creator, to worship Him, to acknowledge His character, and to remember that He is God.
And sometimes, I think we need that reminder more than we realize.
Remember Who You’re Praying To
Psalm 146 is such a beautiful picture of God’s character.
It reminds us that He is the Creator of heaven and earth, that He remains faithful forever, that He upholds the oppressed, gives food to the hungry, opens the eyes of the blind, and lifts up those who are bowed down.
It reminds us that He cares for the vulnerable and that His reign never ends.
And what I love about this Psalm is that it shifts our attention away from ourselves and onto Him.
Before we even consider what we’re asking God to do, we’re reminded of what He’s already done and who He has always been.
He is faithful.
He is righteous.
He is compassionate.
He is sovereign.
And none of those things change based on our circumstances.
More Than We Can Ask or Imagine
In Ephesians 3:14–21, Paul prays for believers to be strengthened through God’s Spirit, rooted and established in love, and able to grasp the immeasurable love of Christ.
And then he writes:
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us…” — Ephesians 3:20
I love that Paul ends his prayer by glorifying God.
Because the focus isn’t merely on what God can give us. It’s on His power, His love, and His glory.
And there’s something comforting about remembering that the God we’re praying to is capable of far more than we could ever imagine.
That doesn’t mean He’ll always answer our prayers the way we want Him to.
But it does mean we can trust the One who hears them.
Before the Requests, Remember Who He Is
Even Jesus, when teaching His disciples how to pray, began with:
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…” — Matthew 6:9
Before asking for daily bread, forgiveness, or deliverance, He directed their attention to the Father.
And I think there’s something we can learn from that.
Not that every prayer has to follow a specific formula. Not that we have to say all the right things before we’re allowed to bring our needs before God.
But that prayer should never become so focused on what we want from God that we forget to simply worship Him.
Because sometimes, before we ask Him to change our circumstances, we need to be reminded of His unchanging character.
Sometimes, before asking Him for peace, we need to remember that He is our peace.
Before asking Him to provide, we can remember His faithfulness.
Before asking Him for strength, we can remember that His power is made perfect in weakness.
And before asking Him for anything at all, we can simply say:
Lord, thank You for who You are.
Not because He has answered every prayer the way we hoped.
Not because life is easy.
But because He is worthy of our praise regardless.
And maybe that’s something we could all practice a little more.
Not praying less about our needs, but praying more with our eyes fixed on Him.
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Heavenly Father,
Before I bring You my worries, my desires, or my requests, I want to thank You for who You are.
Thank You for Your faithfulness, Your mercy, Your goodness, and Your love. Thank You that You remain the same even when everything around me changes.
Forgive me for the times I’ve made prayer more about what I need from You than about spending time with You.
Teach me to approach You with a heart of worship and gratitude. Help me remember Your character when my circumstances feel overwhelming, and remind me that You are worthy of praise in every season.
May my prayers not simply be filled with requests, but with reverence, thanksgiving, and a desire to know You more.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
