Do you have people in your life who only seem to talk to you when they want something? Conversations that solely revolve around the other person’s needs or demands make it hard on a friendship or relationship. These one-sided relationships can lead to us feeling used and/or manipulated. Sadly, I regret that I treated my wonderful parents as the proverbial ‘ATM machine’ during my years at Auburn University. I would stop by the house to visit briefly with my folks and then hold my hand out and ask for a check or some cash to help bail me out of my careless spending habits.
I have a feeling that God must feel much the same about us when we only approach Him with our needs and desires. We’ll gladly give Him our prayer requests without spending any time praising Him or taking the time to thank Him for our past blessings or seeking a relationship with Him. We have no problem praying for future events without even acknowledging His help, provisions, and blessings in the past. Our forgetfulness is an indication of our ingratitude toward God and it renders our prayers ineffective.
God loves each of us, but doesn't want to be taken for granted either. He also doesn't want to hear our lists of needs and wants every time we pray to Him without an effort on our part to truly know Him and be in a relationship with Him.
When we face difficult times, we must look at the past and acknowledge all that God has done in our lives. We must spend more time thanking Him and praising Him, so that our blessings glorify Him!
