Affirming God's sovereignty before petition both strengthens faith and aligns what we ask with His overall plan.
When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord, you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them.”
Not Reminding God
Are these disciples reminding God of what He already knows? Of course not. God never forgets and therefore never needs to be reminded.
From verse 24 up to verse 28, they are building the foundation for their petition. This is called affirmation before petition. They are affirming God's power and sovereignty before launching their requests.
A Pattern Worth Emulating
This accomplishes at least two purposes. First, it bolsters their own faith. In essence they are reminding themselves of God's power. Second, it grounds and aligns their petition with God's overall plan.
It is a good prayer pattern worth emulating.
