Trying to Manipulate God
There is a huge problem with how most people view God. They think that they need to be good and pray so they can get God to do what they want Him to do. This is a total misunderstanding of who God is and how He operates. God can't be manipulated. He does whatever He pleases.(Psalm 115:3)
When a person thinks he can get God to act on His behalf by being good and praying, it leads to disaster. First of all, when the prayer is not answered as the person desired for it to be answered, they give up on God. They think He doesn't answer prayer, or He is not even real. Secondly, it leads to a consumer mentality. They think they can receive from God what they want, so they are calling the shots. They get what they want, and they do not have to obey God. He obeys them. It never works that way, but many people are trying to be the masters of their own lives in that way.
In reality, God does what He pleases, because he is All-wise and All-powerful. Therefore, He always does the right thing in the right way. What we need to do is to pray for Him to show us His will, so we can do what He wants us to do. Then, we can obey Him. His will is always better than what we would have wanted anyway.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 118-120.
When a person thinks he can get God to act on His behalf by being good and praying, it leads to disaster. First of all, when the prayer is not answered as the person desired for it to be answered, they give up on God. They think He doesn't answer prayer, or He is not even real. Secondly, it leads to a consumer mentality. They think they can receive from God what they want, so they are calling the shots. They get what they want, and they do not have to obey God. He obeys them. It never works that way, but many people are trying to be the masters of their own lives in that way.
In reality, God does what He pleases, because he is All-wise and All-powerful. Therefore, He always does the right thing in the right way. What we need to do is to pray for Him to show us His will, so we can do what He wants us to do. Then, we can obey Him. His will is always better than what we would have wanted anyway.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 118-120.