As part of my business we do user testing. That is we sit down with web users and watch how they interact with the websites we are testing. This helps us understand where people get hung up and 'drop off' on a website. 

Invariably during the test the participant will make a specific request. "I want to see the site work this way." It would be ideal, of course, to fulfill everyones wishes and for the most part the requests are valid and good ideas, but what the user doesn't see is the big picture. Maybe the requested aspect was intentionally left out for legal reasons. Maybe there wasn't enough budget to justify adding the feature to the site. Or maybe there were platform limitations that led to the current solution. 

It made me wonder if this could be how God views our prayer requests. Ever pray for a million dollars? I have…cause that just might solve everything, right? As a usability tester, I accept the participants wishes readily, but only push to fulfill them if it's in the best interest of all parties involved (business and customer). I am privy to the big picture. It's a reminder to me to trust that God too is privy to the big picture and knows the whys and hows of what is best for me.