What is the difference between demanding things from God verses being dependent upon God when praying for what we need?

If prayer is demanding things from God, we would be in control. We would be asking God to do what we want, when we want it, and how we want it. We would not be humble and submissive; we would be arrogant and controlling. We would be demanding God to do our will instead of asking humbly for his will to be done. We would be treating God as our servant instead of as our Lord.

When we pray, we want God’s will to be done. We may even say the words, “Your will be done.” This shows that we are not in control, nor are we demanding our way. We are submitting to God and his will. Because God knows best, we are ready to accept his will in all things.

Prayer trusts God. He knows us and our needs better than we do. A spiritually-minded person would not want anything from God if it not God-honoring or for our best interests. Otherwise, God may give us what we want but later we may realize what we wanted “is not what we want.” That could be called “the tragedy of answered prayer.” In their wilderness wanderings, Israel murmured against God. They were disgruntled and unhappy because they had no meat to eat. God gave them what they wanted but sent a devastating plague among them (Numbers 11:4-6, 31-34). A later psalm says of this event, “He gave them what they asked, but sent a wasting disease among them” (Psalm 106:15).

Spiritual persons would rather have God’s blessings than receive what they want without God’s blessings. Believers are not “anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving” they make their “requests known to God.” In plenty or hunger, in abundance or need, they are content with whatever God gives (Philippians 4:6, 12). “They can endure all things through Christ who gives them strength” (4:13).