My prayers often start with my requests. Please, Lord, I need this. Lord, help me with this task. Please, God, do this for me. Yes, I usually add a please to my pleas, but I do not often praise before please. My needs prompt me to ask God first, pleading with Him for answers. But do I acknowledge the Lord of all creation who welcomes and hears my prayers?

Pray for my needs

My requests are often self-centered and self-serving. I ask God for what I have determined that I need and want. I balance my own equation of needs versus wants. But am I running that by my Lord and Savior, placing all requests in submission to His will? Am I letting God guide me so completely that I recognize His path and follow His purposes for me? Those are accountability questions that I need to answer if I am pursuing Jesus and His will for me.

Change my perspective

First of all, I need to determine who I am going to follow. If my top priority is Jesus, then my heart’s intent and life goals need to follow His will, not mine. Who determines my wants versus needs equation? Do I take charge of my needs or do I surrender them to God’s plan? Nothing wrong with presenting my needs to God, but my perspective must align with God’s Word and His will. If I pray for a new car out of jealousy over my friend’s car, I disobey the tenth commandment. Instead, God may have other purposes for the older cars we drive. For example, my husband and I enjoy a reputation as the “Engine Light Lundes” at our local automobile repair shop. We became friends with the owners and pray for them to know Jesus.

When my perspective aligns with God’s will, then I can realistically evaluate my wants and needs in consideration of the roles God has for me in this season. Sometimes, that means I need to respect and obey God when He gives a “no” answer to my prayer, especially when I do not understand the reasons. My vantage point then changes from a selfish outlook to God’s sovereign purposes.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 NIV

Start with praise

Philippians 4:6-7 presents how to receive God’s peace as a solution for anxiety. Notice that thanksgiving goes along with bringing requests to God in prayer. Sometimes I focus on the supplication, petition (KJV), or “the ask.” The pain, need, or problem drives my prayer. But I can’t forget to thank my God, the omnipotent Lord of all creation, for blessings already given. Instead of starting with the please and pleading for my wants, I should start with praise for the One who hears. Put the praise before please. When I acknowledge His love for me, the salvation He provided, and what He means to me, that sets the tone for my prayer. I prayerfully reflect on God’s character, which helps me appreciate what He has already accomplished for me.

The ask should come after the realignment of my heart and mind. Praise first; then present my pleas. The wants seems so pressing at first. But when I examine them through the lens of God’s Word, He shows me His priorities. The Holy Spirit convicts me that some of my needs are actually sinful pursuits or selfish wants. When God’s lens zooms my attention in, I can set my sights on His plans. He knows the journey He walks me through, the places I need to be, and the work He has for me do.

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Philippians 2:13 NIV

Dear God, thank you for being my Savior and Lord. Teach me to pray with praise before please. Let me be so filled with praise for you, that honoring you comes first when I pray. Wipe out my selfish wants, so that my requests align with your will. Jesus, I want my heart, life, and actions to follow your plan, even if I don’t understand it. Let your Holy Spirit convict and strengthen me. Help me surrender to you—that is what I need. In Jesus’ name. Amen.