Micromanaging God

I was recently involved in a discussion about praying for a special need.  One individual was saying how they were very specific about what they wanted God to do. It struck me then that they were trying to ‘micromanage’ God.  

I realized that I had been guilty of that very thing more than once in the past!

We talk about bosses micromanaging their employees—giving a capable employee a task, then coming by every few minutes to tell him how to do it, checking his progress, redirecting  or even taking over the task themselves for a few steps.  We are irritated when a boss does that. We all realize that the task would be accomplished much more efficiently if the boss would allow the capable employee to do his job.

How much more ridiculous would it be if the employee stuck his head in the boss’s office every few minutes to give him step by step instructions on making his latest report, to make sure there were no typos in his work, ensuring that he knew the proper format for that report or checking to be be sure the boss had replaced the ink cartridge in his printer.  

But how often do we do that exact thing with God?  We pray for healing.  Then we go step by step through the symptoms telling God what to do.  We ask for His help in a financial situation. Then explain very carefully what needs to happen for the situation to be resolved and when the funds need to arrive and who needs to wait patiently.  Or even in our spiritual burdens.  We not only ask God’s help but we also tell Him how to fix it. 

Yep.  I’ve done that.  But from now on I won’t. 

Job 23:10 tells us He knows the way we take and a little farther on we learn that (Job 28:23) God knows the way and he knows the place for making things happen.  And here I am, telling the Master of the Universe how to arrange to fix my little problem!  Before we even call on Him the Lord knows what our difficulty or burden is.  He already had the plan in mind to deal with it.  (Isa. 65:24)  We don’t need to outline the process for Him.   He has the entire situation in hand!  And here I am, telling Him what to do for me! 

And even though I have been guilty of trying to tell God, how and when and where, I’ve also relied many times on the verse in Romans that speaks of the Spirit making intercession with unutterable groanings.  If the Spirit translates our groanings, we have no need to give God step by step instruction.  So why am I just now realizing that?

Yes, we are taught to bring our burdens before the Lord.  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.  And yes he is a very present help in time of trouble. (Ps. 46:1)   But are we hindering our faith by trying to tell God how to supply our needs and give us help? Are we floundering in worry and heartache because God isn’t following our directions?

We all know that He will supply our needs. (But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:19) And yet when it comes to asking, we seem to think we need to tell Him how to do it.