Prayer and Thanksgiving

For quite a while now, I have been thinking about prayer and trying to gain a better understanding of it.  This is not a purely intellectual pursuit; rather, I want to know more about prayer so I can use it more in my life and thereby increase my communication with God in a way that is pleasing to Him.  I also want to unleash His power in my life so that His glory may be seen through me.  Little by little, God has been giving me pieces of truth about prayer and strengthening my belief in Him and in His desire to work for our good.  The passage below from today's entry in Jesus Calling clarified for me a point that had eluded my understanding up until now.  I never understood if we are supposed to pray repeatedly for things we greatly desire, or if our asking God for it one time is sufficient, as He never forgets and has all power to answer our requests.  I like the way it's explained here:

Speak to Me candidly; pour out your heart.  Then thank me for the answers that I have set into motion long before you can discern results.  When your requests come to mind again, continue to thank Me for the answers that are on the way.  If you keep on stating your concerns to Me, you will live in a state of tension.  When you thank Me for how I am answering your prayers, your mind-set becomes much more positive.  Thankful prayers keep your focus on My presence and My promises.

When I hear prayer described like this, I think that I may have missed some of the meaning intended in Philippians 4:6: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" (emphasis mine).  God promises to answer our prayers, so we can begin to thank Him for the answers as soon as we lift up our prayers, knowing that, however He answers, it is for our good and His glory.