Do not put God in a Box!

 (Part of the Prayer Series)

25/04/2026

During one of our regular Wednesday prayer meetings, one of my staff shared something very simple. She observed that many times when we bring our needs and petitions to God, we already have in our minds exactly how we want Him to answer. We expect God to move in a certain way, through a certain person, or within a certain timing. But many times, God chooses to answer in a completely different way according to His greater plan — a plan that is often far better than what we asked for. As such, we end up missing out on His answered prayer because we are fixed on our own expected answer.

This is what it means to put God in a box! Mentally, we often form a clear picture in our mind of exactly how God should answer our prayer. We create an internal script of how the solution should come — through this person, in this timing, looking this particular way. Psychologically speaking, once our mind locks onto this expected pattern, it automatically filters out anything that does not match. Anything outside our mental script becomes invisible or easy to dismiss, even if it is right in front of us.

This concept is not something spiritual or mystical at all. It is simply a very logical thing. When we are fixated on our own expectations, our thinking pattern naturally blocks us from seeing other possibilities.

As a business owner for close to 18 years, I have seen this in my own experience many times. From my position, I can often see dangers and booby traps ahead that my staff on the ground cannot see. They only see their immediate situation and insist on doing things their way because it looks logical to them. Many times they would tell me, “You think differently from me,” or “I cannot understand your thinking at all.”

When they run into a pothole, they often could not even see that it was coming. It was beyond their field of vision. I could see the pothole clearly from where I stood, but for them it was completely unexpected. What they do not realise is that they are looking at the situation from their own limited worldview and perspective. The potholes were often outside what they could see. Because of this, they struggle to understand from my bigger perspective. Their view is only a small subset, while I am looking at the full picture. Because of this, my thinking appears different — not because it is strange or different, but because it is bigger and more holistic.

This experience has taught me a similar lesson about God. Just as my staff relate to me from their limited view, I also relate to God from my own limited view.

Because I have learned this principle in the natural through many years of leading the business, I have learned to translate it into my walk with God.

That is where I learned that at times when His ways seem completely out of my logic, it is not that His logic is different from mine, but that His thoughts are higher than my thoughts and His ways are higher than my ways (Isaiah 55:8-9 NKJV). He simply sees the full holistic picture that I cannot see. Because of this, I have learned to stop trying to figure Him out or waiting until I fully understand before I follow Him — the common habit of saying, “God, only if I understand then I will follow You.” Instead, I simply surrender and submit to His ways, trusting that He knows better and that His plan is always bigger and better.

And this is where I realized — that’s exactly the definition of faith!

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1 NKJV)

I would like to share another experience many years ago.

Many years ago, I started to doubt the existence of God after watching many Christian conspiracy documentaries that tried to prove He was not real. I remembered I prayed a prayer, telling God to prove to me that He is real, if He is really real. At the same time, without even realising it, I added a statement behind it: “But in the meantime, I still choose to trust You as of now.”

(Looking back, I’m quite sure that second part was not my intention.)

He did not answer the way I expected. I expected Him to prove to me that He is real with some signs and wonders or some form of miracles. Yet from that prayer onwards, my faith from within simply started growing stronger and stronger without me even realising it. Until I somehow believed so strongly in His existence.

He has never given me the kind of proof that I expected, but somehow He answered my prayer in such ways that I did not expect, and He has already proven to me that He is real!

I would like to emphasize that God is not limited like we are. He made the heavens and the earth by His great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too difficult for Him (Jeremiah 32:17 NKJV).

The question now is this: Are we willing to open up our mind to His ways? Are we willing to be open for Him to work in and through us?

Let us all learn to open up. Let us allow God to reveal to us the fullness of who He is. Let us bring our needs to God freely, yet hold our expectations openly and simply trust the One whose thoughts and ways toward us are greater and higher. When we do this, we will surely begin to experience the immeasurably more that He longs to give us.

Let us no longer put Him in a box anymore. The equation is no longer on God’s side — the equation is now on our side!

Let us be open!

The first practical step is to be open to the Holy Spirit — to allow Him to bring the reality of God into our lives, to teach us, and to partner with us in our daily life, just as Jesus promised.

I would like to close with this analogy to seal the thought.

Imagine a soccer match. The players on the field have only a limited view of what is happening around them. The coach on the sideline, however, sees the entire pitch — the movement of opponents, open spaces, and potential dangers. When the coach gives instructions, the players who trust him and obey often avoid mistakes and create better opportunities. Those who ignore the coach because “they know better” usually pay the price.

Let us not be the one that pays the price anymore. Instead, let us be the one to receive the inheritance that God has for us.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9 NKJV)

“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to the power that works in us…” (Ephesians 3:20 NKJV)

“How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand…” (Psalm 139:17-18 NKJV)

“Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.” (Jeremiah 32:17 NKJV)

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV)

 

This writing was inspired by Lemmy Chan.