When Jesus teaches His followers to pray, He begins with two words that change everything: “Our Father.” Before Jesus teaches us to ask for bread, forgiveness, protection, or anything else, He reminds us who God is. Prayer starts with the Father, not with the problem.

Problems have a way of filling our entire field of vision. A difficult conversation can consume your thoughts. A medical concern can follow you from morning until night. A strained relationship, financial pressure, or uncertainty about the future can begin to feel like the biggest thing in your world. Prayer does not pretend those things are small. Instead, prayer helps you see them beside the much greater reality of who God is. You have a Father who knows you, loves you, sees you, and is not confused by what has surprised you.

Jesus also says, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” “Hallowed” is not a word most of us use in everyday conversation. It means that God’s name is holy, set apart, worthy of honor. Jesus is teaching us to begin prayer by remembering that God is both close and great. He is Father, so you can come near. He is in heaven, so He sees what you cannot see. He loves you personally, and He is still God over everything you are facing.

We know this Father most clearly through Jesus. Jesus did not merely tell us that God loves us; He showed us. At the cross, Jesus took our sin upon Himself so that we could be forgiven and brought into God’s family. Through His resurrection, Jesus opened the way to new life with God. If you trust Jesus, you do not approach God as a stranger trying to earn your way into the room. You come as someone who has been welcomed by grace.

One simple way to begin prayer today is to wait before giving God your list. Start by naming what is true about Him. “Father, You are good. You are faithful. You are present. You are patient. You see me. You love me.” You may not feel all of those truths strongly in the moment, but prayer helps us anchor our hearts in what is true rather than letting our fears decide what is true.

Your problem may still be there when you finish praying. But it no longer has to be the largest reality in the room. Before you tell God how big the problem is, remind your heart how good your Father is.

Try this the next time anxiety starts running ahead of you. Before you ask God to fix anything, pause and name three things that are true about Him. Maybe: “You are with me. You are wise. You are faithful.” This is not pretending the problem is easy. It is choosing to let God’s character frame the problem instead of letting the problem define God.