Many of us are taught from a young age to pray routine prayers at bedtime and at the dinner table. Ironically, growing up that way can hinder us from really understanding the gravity of prayer. Because it’s so routine and automatic, we never fully grasp that God—the God of the universe—is actually listening when we talk to him. In the last chapter, we learned that prayer is personal—we’re talking to our dad. That’s essential, but it’s also important to remember that we’re talking to God. After Jesus teaches us to pray, “Our Father in heaven,” He says, “Hallowed be your name.” It’s a way of saying, “God, Your name is special.” 

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? The answer is simple: Because He loves us. That should make you feel special. So, yes, talk to your dad, but also realize who your dad is.

There’s a famous photo from John F. Kennedy’s presidency, where his son, John Jr., is playing underneath the Resolute Desk while he works. That’s a perfect metaphor for prayer. The president’s staff would never crawl under that desk, or casually interrupt his work, but his son had a different kind of access. Our dad is the King of kings and the One who spoke galaxies into existence, yet He listens when you whisper a prayer on your drive to work, or when you’re lying awake at night. You would think something this incredible would never get old, but that’s human nature—we can get used to anything. We get too comfortable with God, and we lose our sense of wonder. That’s why every prayer should include some praise.

Celebrate God

Imagine for a moment that the athlete or celebrity 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? You would probably try to act normal, but inside, you would be freaking out. You’d probably start babbling about the most memorable game they played in, or which of their albums you love most. It’s a silly example, but I think you get the point—if you spent 30 minutes with someone you admired, you would naturally compliment them. That’s what we want to do for God when we begin our prayers.

The last few Christmases, my kids and their spouses have written me letters and cards as my gift. They love it because it doesn’t cost any money, but I love it even more. These letters always bring me to tears, and they mean much more than a new pair of shoes. I can only imagine how God feels when His children come to Him with compliments and praise.

When you pray, there are usually important questions you want to ask, painful things you want to talk about, or big needs you want to address, and there will always be time for those. But we want to start with verbalizing the goodness of God—spending a few moments telling Him what we love about Him. 

To be clear, this is not us buttering up God to get what we want. We’re not trying to impress 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 after I hear that. But here’s the thing—I don’t care. I’ll take it! So even if this practice makes you feel weird or guilty, get into the habit anyway. God knows how you truly feel, and you don’t need to strategize your prayers or approach him perfectly.

Gratitude

While we’re at it, you can do more than celebrate God. You can also thank Him. It’s one thing to say, “God, You’re good,” but it’s another thing to say, “God, You’ve been good to me.” One of the easiest ways to strengthen your faith is to look backward. Think about the prayers He has answered, the doors He has opened, the friendships He brought into your life,  and the strength and protection 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 have never abandoned me.”

There isn’t a script. You’re simply saying, “Thanks.” The more you practice praise, the more it becomes a habit.

One of the reasons praise and gratitude are such powerful ways to begin your prayer is because they change your perspective. We usually come to prayer thinking about our problems; we are anxious, discouraged, frustrated, or overwhelmed. But when we begin talking about who God is, it changes our perspective and our attitude. David said, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him and praise his name!”

Researchers have spent decades studying gratitude, and the results are remarkable. People who regularly give thanks report greater joy, more optimism, lower stress, and even better physical health. But God told us to practice gratitude long before scientists discovered how good it is for us. Gratitude shows up everywhere in Scripture. Paul writes, “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Paul also tells us to bring our requests to God “with thanksgiving.” David declared, “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever,” and, “Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” 

It’s amazing how quickly we start to take our answered prayers for granted. We prayed yesterday for the job we hate today, we prayed for the house we now complain about, and we prayed for the marriage that’s driving us crazy. Somewhere along the way, our miracles become normal, and our natural human bias toward negativity makes us focus on the problems rather than the blessings. Gratitude is so important because it softens our heart and counteracts that natural tendency to take things for granted. 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—all of it is a gift. So before you move on to asking God for things, spend a few moments celebrating and thanking Him. 

Practice:

Thank God for five blessings in your life, and celebrate five things 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. Hallowed be Your name. Amen.