It is remarkable that these Christians take five verses to tell God who he is, and two verses to ask what they want from him. Now God does not need to be told who he is. But Christians need to know who he is—and precisely in their prayers they need to know and confess that he is the kind of God who can and will answer their prayers.
John Piper, A Prayer That Brought the Holy Spirit Down, February 3, 1991
Knowing God through His Word ... Day by Day 