Right after Jesus teaches us to pray “Our Father in heaven,” He says, “Hallowed be your name.” That word hallowed means holy, honored, or set apart. It’s a way of saying, “God, Your name is special, and you’re worthy of my praise.”

In the last chapter we learned that prayer is personal—we’re talking to our dad—but you’re also talking to God. Many of us grow up in religious environments and from a young age are taught to pray prayers for bedtime, or meals, so the unbelievable idea that God would be listening to us never really settles in, but I want you to think about that for a moment. God—the God of the universe—is listening when you talk to him.

King David wrote in the Psalms, “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?” It’s a valid question. Why would God who can have anything he wants, want to listen to you and me? Because he loves you. That should make you feel special. So, yes, talk to your dad, but also realize that your dad, is really important.

There’s a famous photo of President John F Kennedy when he was president. His son, John Jr., is playing, crawling under the resolute desk in the white house, while his dad, JFK is leading a meeting with the most important people in the country. That’s a perfect picture of prayer. The President’s staff would never have crawled under that desk, or interrupted a meeting, but his son had a different kind of access. He wasn’t disrespectful—he was simply a child who knew he belonged. Our dad is the King of kings, yet He wants us to call Him Father. The One who spoke galaxies into existence also listens when you whisper a prayer on your drive to work, sit beside a hospital bed, or lie awake at night.

You would think something this incredible would never get old, but it does. We get familiar and too comfortable with God, and we lose our wonder. That’s why every prayer should include some praise.

Brag on God

So we begin our prayer by “bragging” on God in a way. That’s what praise is. At its simplest, praise is talking good about someone, and God loves it when we praise him. Imagine for a moment that the celebrity or artist you most admire knocked on your front door, and asked if they could come in and hang out for 30 minutes. How would you act? What would you say? I doubt you would scroll on your phone, you would probably try to act normal, but inside be freaking out because you’re such a fan. You’d probably tell them about your favorite movies or songs they’ve performed. You might say, “I loved you in that movie” or “That is my favorite song! You are an amazing singer!” It’s a silly example, but I think you get the point, if you spent 30 minutes with someone you were fanatical about, you would naturally praise them. That’s what we want to do to God when we begin our prayers.

To be clear, this is not us “buttering up” God to get what we want. We’re not trying to impress him or praising Him, so He’ll do us a favor. We praise Him because He deserves it.  As a dad, I can usually tell when one of my kids is about to ask me for something. They’ll start with, “Dad…has anyone ever told you you’re the best?” I know what’s coming. But here’s the thing—I don’t care. When they were young I loved it when they crawled up in my lap, and now that they’re adults, I love it when they compliment me. I know they want something, but it still feels good to be loved. But it’s even better when they don’t want anything, they’re just being kind and loving. It doesn’t happen all the time, but when it does it means so much to me. I can only imagine how God feels when his children do the same.

I’m sure there are important questions you may want to ask God, or painful things you want to talk about, or maybe you have a big need you want to request, you’ll get to that, but for now we want to start with verbalizing the goodness of God.

Imagine if every conversation you had with your spouse, your parents, or your closest friend consisted of asking for something. Eventually the relationship would feel one-sided. So before you ask God to do something for you, spend a few moments telling Him what you love about Him. 

Gratitude

But there’s more to say than just the qualities of God, you can also say, “Thank you.” Praise isn’t just saying, “God, You’re good.” It’s saying, “God, You’ve been good to me.” 

One of the easiest ways to strengthen your faith is to look backward. Before you ask God for what’s next, remember what He’s already done. Think about the prayers He has answered. The doors He has opened. The protection you didn’t even know you needed. The friendships He brought into your life. The strength He provided on days you didn’t think you would make it through.  Don’t overthink it, just tell God, all the good things you can think of. It can be as simple as saying, 

“God, You are faithful.” 
“Thank You for always keeping Your promises.” 
“You have been so patient with me.” 
“You are good, even when life is hard.” 
“You are holy, wise, and kind.” 
“Thank You for forgiving me when I fail.” 
“Thank You for loving me when I don’t deserve it.” 
“Thank You for giving me another day to live.” 

“You have always taken care of me.” 
“You’ve never abandoned me.” 

There isn’t a script. You’re simply telling God what is true about Him.  The more you practice praise, the more it becomes a habit—You can start simply by saying, “God you are so good!”

One of the reasons praise and gratitude is such a powerful way to begin your prayer is because it changes your perspective. We usually enter prayer thinking about our problems. We come anxious, discouraged, frustrated, or overwhelmed. But when we begin talking about who God is, it changes our perspective and our attitude. 

Researchers have spent decades studying gratitude, and the results are remarkable. People who regularly stop to give thanks consistently report greater joy, more optimism, lower stress, and even greater physical health. God told us to practice gratitude long before scientists discovered how good it is for us.

Human beings have a bias toward negativity. We naturally notice what is wrong before we notice what is right. We remember criticism more easily than compliments. We replay awkward conversations more than encouraging ones. We tend to dwell on what we lost instead of appreciating what we’ve been given. It’s one of the reasons anxiety can become so powerful. Our minds are constantly scanning for problems to solve and dangers to avoid. Maybe that’s why the Bible repeatedly tells us to “remember” and “do not forget.” Over and over again the Bible talks about “remembering” or “not forgetting.” As you read the Old Testament you see where God’s people ‘forgot” about God, and in the New Testament Jesus instructed his disciples about communion so they would “remember” him. It’s amazing how easily answered prayers become expected blessings. Yesterday I was praying for the job I have today. I prayed for the house I now call home. I prayed for the family sitting around my dinner table. Somewhere along the way, the miracles became normal. That’s why gratitude is such an important spiritual discipline. It keeps our hearts soft. James tells us, “Every good and perfect gift is from above.” The breath in your lungs. The food on your table. The people you love. The grace you’ve received. None of it is earned. All of it is a gift.

So before you move on to your requests, spend a few moments saying two simple words: “Thank You.” 

Practice:
Before asking God for anything today, spend five minutes praising Him. Thank Him for five things He has done. Tell Him five things that you love about him.

Prayer:
Father, before I ask You for anything, I simply want to say, “thank you.” Thank You for being faithful, patient, holy, kind, and good. Thank You for every gift You’ve placed in my life, especially the ones I’ve started to take for granted. Forgive me for forgetting how great you are. I can’t believe that I have your attention, but I’m thankful. Thank You for welcoming me as Your child and inviting me into Your presence. In Jesus’ name, Amen.