God in a box

Recently while visiting a new church I was introduced to the latest and greatest "method" of evangelizing, called "Praying for You". Sounds benign and even great... doesn't it? But something didn't sit right inside of me. I kept thinking how much we are always trying to fit God, and His Kingdom into a nice little package. All clean and self explanatory... wrapped up in a bow even! But that isn't the God I know. God's ways are above ours.... His thoughts are Higher than ours. We can't do 3 steps to a better new improved Christian living, and call it good. God isn't into 5, 7, or even 12 step programs.... He is into a lifetime of transformation, living IN His Spirit, renewing your mind by His Word. Of course, there is good in those programs, systems, and steps. Because God can use anything and anyone to do His will. But I still squirm in my seat everytime they start to surface in the body. We are all different. We all have different gifts. We all have God's Holy Spirit to guide us. He will give us the right words to say, and the right moment to say them. And He will change us to a better wife and mom. But these things are meant to take time.... a lifetime. I think it is because He likes to spend time with us. We are His children! Just like we like our children to talk to us, love us, spend time with us, and listen to our Words, He feels the same. There is just something about having to depend on the Holy Spirit at any given time, that just feels real! I'm tired of the packaged God they are trying to serve me at so many churches. Don't get me wrong, I love to hear how God is working in other's lives, or what God's Word did to transform them. But God is a personal God, and our stories are all different. Isn't that part of the miracle?