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Why did Mesopotamians believe people needed the help of a personal god or goddess?

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Historical map showing ancient Mesopotamia with labeled locations of major archaeological and historical sites. Symbols and color codes indicate sites from the prehistoric era, Sumerian-Akkadian culture, Babylonian and Neo-Babylonian eras, Assyrian civilization, Hurrian era, late Persian, Greek, and Parthian eras, as well as marshland areas. The map covers the region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, including present-day Iraq and surrounding areas.
Mesopotamian religion

In the worldview of Mesopotamian religion, human beings were considered fundamentally powerless to act effectively or achieve success on their own. Because humanity was created to serve the gods—acting as a means to provide food, clothing, and service so that the deities could live as a governing upper class—individuals were viewed as inherently limited.1

Consequently, Mesopotamians believed they required the help of a personal god or goddess—a specific deity within the pantheon who took a personal interest in them—to provide protection and guidance. This reliance was so absolute that it was captured in the saying, "Without his personal god a man eats not".1

As religious traditions evolved into the 2nd and 1st millennia BCE, this emphasis on personal religion grew stronger. The shift toward an absolute monarchical structure among the gods led the pious to abstain from human initiative, placing their complete faith and reliance on divine intervention for their personal and domestic welfare.21