Do you make this mistake when you pray?

You’re in a market at a 3rd world country. $30 Jeans advertised as $45 actually cost $20. How much do you pay?
Depends on how well you can ‘barter’.
The key is leveraging what you have that they want [money] so you get what they have that you want [product]. It goes a little something like this:

[C is for customer. S for seller]

C: How much for the jeans?

S: $45.

C: Yea right. [Walk away slowly]

S: Wait, how much do you want to pay?

C: $10.

S: $10? You’re crazy. You’ll never find a pair of jeans for $10.  

C: Ok. [Fake wake away again]

S: Bro, come back. Listen, these jeans cost me $35 but because i like you, I’ll sell it for $30.

C: Only have $15 [show empty pocket]

S: $25?

C: $15!

S: Its yours for $20.

C: Deal.

[Pay with $20 you hid in your socks 5 minutes earlier]
Everybody wins.

Sound familiar? Probably not because we don’t do that in the States... except spiritually.

We all love to play the ‘barter game' with God. Of course It’s a little more subtle but its just as manipulative.

The key is leveraging what we have that he wants [our obedience/lives/hearts] so we get what he has that we want [job/healing/relationship].

‘God, if I get this job, I’ll do _______’

‘If I pass this exam I didn’t study for, I promise I’ll do my quiet time or _______’

‘I’ll stop this behavior if we win/you heal her/they don’t get divorced’

I suppose we pray this way because we believe we have leverage with God.
We believe we have something to give him, something to bring to the table.
The only problem with this thought is the bible.
Romans 11:

Who has ever given to God that God should repay him?...
For from him and through him and to him are all things.

Translation?

We have nothing to offer God. Nothing.
We bring nothing to the table.
He doesn't 'need' our service because He gives everything.

There’s no barter with God, just an invitation to share in everything he’s done and is doing.
Thats the gospel.

So rather than barter when I pray, he invites me to just be honest and ask. I’lI try. What about you?

Why do you think we try to barter with God when we pray instead of simply asking? In what ways are you most tempted to barter with God?
How do you think our prayer lives would change if we believed we brought nothing to the table? What do you need to simply ask God for today? 

Its a buffet of questions people. Lets go.