Good readin'

"Prayer is the antidote for the disease of self-confidence, which opposes God's goal of getting glory by working for those who wait for Him. 'The eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless towards him' (2 Chronicles 16:9). God is not looking for people to work for Him so much as He is looking for people who will let Him work for them. The gospel is not a help-wanted ad. Neither is the call to Christian service. On the contrary, the gospel commands us to give up and hang out a help-wanted sign (this is the basic meaning of prayer). Then the gospel promises that God will work for us if we do. He will not surrender the glory of being the Giver. But is there not anything we can give Him that won't belittle Him to the status of beneficiary? Yes-our anxieties. It's a command: '[Cast] all your anxieties on him' (1 Peter 5:7). God will gladly receive anything from us that shows our dependence and His all-sufficiency."
"The difference between Uncle Sam and Jesus Christ is that uncle Sam won't enlist you in his service unless you are healthy and Jesus won't enlist you unless you are sick: 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous but the sinners' (Mark 2:17). Christianity is fundamentally convalescence ('Pray without ceasing' = Keep buzzing the nurse). Patients do not serve their physicians. They trust them for good prescriptions. The Sermon on the Mount and the Ten Commandments are the Doctor's prescribed health regimen, not the employee's job description."
-"Desiring God" by John Piper, Pg. 173 - latter half of "God Works For Those Who Wait For Him" and first part of "The Difference Between Uncle Sam and Jesus Christ"

*Pounds fist with J-pip ...* thanks be to God for this truth. I rejoice in the fact that God will not surrender the glory of being the all-sufficient Giver. I'm glad and uneasily thankful that God destroys the little thrones we make that want to make us the all-satisfying giver as if God needed the works of human hands. He's too glorious and awesome to need us. We need You God. Give us more of Yourself. May our hearts be honest enough to admit our helplessness and our undying desperate need for more of You. Help us. Hear our hearts' cry.