Which comes first: Istikhara or making a decision?

Istikhara prayer is the servant's request to Allah to choose for him the better of two matters. It is prescribed at the first thought of a matter, and before firmly deciding to do it or leave it. The servant describes his Lord with perfect knowledge and describes himself with lack of knowledge, asking Allah to choose what is good for him. The heart must be empty of any inclination towards a specific matter when performing Istikhara, because it has no place if the servant has already made up his mind about something. Istikhara is performed when in doubt, and is followed by determination and decision-making.