DAY 21: TRUSTED #25WordAdventPrayers God Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to your servant, saying, “I will build a house for you.” So your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. — Samuel 7:27 God as Santa Claus, especially in times of struggle, is a common image that we often drift into when we pray, when we hope, when we think about God. We want God to do things for us, provide certain things, and make others act in distinct ways. We plead, we beg, and we yearn for God to act on our behalf and at particular times and in specific ways. These are not bad hopes to hold as long as we understand that God is not a vending machine of our own expectations. Yes, God interacts with creation, but our relationship with God is not transactional or reciprocal in nature. Our relationship and interaction with God must be flavored with the understanding that God has been present and expressing love even before our most recent task. In the end, our life in God is not ...