“The chief activator of our defects has been self-centered fear—primarily fear that we would lose something we already possessed or would fail to get something we demanded. Living upon a basis of unsatisfied demands, we were in a state of continual disturbance and frustration. Therefore, no peace was to be had unless we could find a means of reducing these demands. The difference between a demand and a simple request is plain to anyone.” (Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions)
I can ask God for certain things, but I cannot demand. A demand is a set-up for unhappiness, immediately bringing impatience and usually bringing frustration, because few wants are met adequately and permanently.
The interesting thing is that, whilst one can be happy without wants being met, one can actually be happy even when certain needs are not met. The distinction between wants and needs is really to do with whether or not the thing, the commodity, is practically required in some way to achieve some objective. No one needs a holiday in Bermuda, but one does need a smartphone if one is going to do some of the things for which a smartphone is required. But if one does not do those things? One can be OK. To me, that’s the whole lesson of spirituality: OK-ness depends on reliance on God, not the fulfilment of plans.