If you only pray when you’re out of snacks, you’ve turned heaven into a vending machine.

A relationship made entirely of requests is not a relationship. Everyone drifts toward contacting the people who can give them something only when they need it, and it is worth noticing when that becomes the whole pattern with God. The vending machine image stings because it is accurate. Put money in, expect an item, leave.

Try a stretch of talking without asking for anything: gratitude, honesty about the day, or just sitting there. Keep bringing your needs too, since you were never told not to. But see what changes when the conversation is not entirely about what you want delivered.