People often mistake wishing to God as being the same as praying to God. 

A wish is defined as a desire to have something that will probably not happen.  Often, people dream of a particular outcome, so they wish upon God and hope it will happen.  They don’t expect it to occur, but it would be nice if it did. 

Prayer is a request presented to God that will further his work and worship here on earth.  A righteous person gives their needs to God and expects him to respond with power and grace. Therefore, prayer is rooted in trust and comes with a level of expectation. 

Save your wishes for birthdays and falling stars.  Believers are people who pray in faith.