Formula Christianity

Today my professor brought up a topic that I would like to expand upon. He mentioned that sometimes we as Christians want to do what works. What can I do to get God to move? What do I need to do to get God to meet my need? Should I fast or pray a certain prayer in a certain way? Then if I do it right then this means that God will do. I'm thinking the simple answer to this is...again...God is not constrained to our formulas. I don't believe that God is waiting for us to get the formulas right...then he can finally do something! No. God is the one at work...not us. He does what is right and whatever pleases him. Will not the judge of all the earth do right? Not to say that we should never pray again or fast or do any of the other things that we do...but we should check our motives for doing so...do that hard work of examining our heart. Do you do these things knowing that God is sovereign and out of your control? Why pray? I believe to join him in what he is already doing. Why fast? For me it is to expose and remove idols that I have set up in my life and refocus on who should be my true object of worship and attention. The gospel proclaims that GOD is the one that has reached out to US, not the other way around, and is at work in our lives and in the lives of others, READY to do good.