Pondering What God has done Helps Us Ask for More
[11] I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. [12] I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds. [13] Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God? [14] You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among the peoples. [15] You with your arm redeemed your people, the children of Jacob and Joseph.
Psalm 77:11–15 ESV
When we pray, it is good to build up our faith and remember things that the Lord has done. Call it a confidence-builder if you will. It is a great practice to even ask around, “Have any of you seen the Lord move lately?” and then listen to that answer. As we encourage each other with stories of where we’ve seen the Lord act, we are more confident in asking Him to act again.
If you don’t know what to pray, look at Psalms like this one. Here a person named Asaph is going over things that God did. Even telling God, “I will remember what You did!” is a great thing to pray. You don’t have to have tremendous Biblical knowledge or profound theology to look back on things that God has done that are worthy of praising Him.
Once I was praying with some friends, and somebody thanked God for strawberries. We were praying for jobs, the salvation of the lost, families to be reconciled, and then this bozo thanks God for strawberries?! The fact is, someone else was so moved that we could thank God for such simple things that it opened up their faith. By realizing there was nothing too small to bring about God’s praise, their faith grew.
God’s ways are Holy and great. If we start our prayer time and Bible reading time with that, it will grow into a prayer that can last all day.