Larry Crabb, in his book “The PAPA PRAYER,” writes…

“The central point of prayer is to come to God for first things. As you learn to relationally pray, you will be more able to ask for second things and to mean it when you complete your request with the words, “If it’s Your will.” And your second-thing requests will grow out of your deepest desire to know God better.”

When we love God and enjoy God as the first thing in our lives, then we can also have the freedom to enjoy second things in proper perspective.

Consider the similarities between enjoying God and enjoying chocolate pie? If I really do get more enjoyment out of pie than God, then an unhealthy addiction is inevitable. Whatever brings me the most joy will prove irresistible. That’s just the way we’re built. We were designed to enjoy joy. 

When nothing brings me joy, I experience despair. When something brings me joy, I go after it. That makes it important to know what is the source of real joy, joy that’s deep and lasting, without bad side effects that show up years later.

The key, is to empty our inner space of everything but God and then to approach Him with freely acknowledged emptiness, claiming no hope of fullness unless He fills us. 

That’s what it means to approach God as the first thing.