Prayer
Where does humility come from?
Moses, a man given a most prestigious title. Numbers 12:3 calls him the meekest, most humble, man to ever walk the earth. He is a hero of the faith. Moses, the great liberator & giver of the Law. A man that history will not soon forget. However, no man simply is humble from the outset of his life. From the first cry of every child we must battle against the desire to turn attention from others onto ourselves. Despite this, Moses, used of God to bring the nation of Egypt to its knees; Moses, who led millions across dry land in the midst of a rolled back sea, fought this battle and emerged victorious. How could any man do this? C. J. Mahaney says that, “Humility is our greatest friend and pride our greatest enemy.” Why pride? Pride is the most deceptive of all sin for it allows you to do the right things for the wrong reasons. Pride is a much deeper problem than an outward show of arrogance or haughtiness. Pride often slips in unnoticed and before we even realize it is motivating our words and actions. We are prideful when we live without depending on God. We can do good things, but we do ourselves a great disservice if we desire, even slightly, the attention that can come when someone is mightily used of The Lord. It’s a simple creed with complex dynamics: Do the right things with the right intentions. How? I believe the answer is found in a look at Moses’ life. E. M. Bounds wrote, “Moses lived near God, and had the freest and most unhindered and boldest access to God, but this, instead of abating the necessity of prayer, made it more necessary, obvious and powerful.” We learn from him simply that humble people pray. We teach those who don’t know what prayer is that it is simply communication with God. Moses was in constant communication with God. He cultivated a life of prayer. He did not do what seemed to be good, He waited to do what was right. When Moses met God in the wilderness he did not leave the same way. Prayer will change you. Moses could not face Egypt until he spoke to God, and He could not lead others out of Egypt unless He kept speaking to God. Prayer will change your world. In The Phenomenon of Pentecost, Frank J. Ewart chronicles the revivals of the early 1900s at Topeka, Azusa Street, Houston, Winnipeg, China and India. Every outpouring was birthed in prayer. Prayer is an acknowledgement of our inability and God’s sovereignty. We pray because we are commanded to, but also because we need God to intervene in our lives. How can we reach our families, our friends, our cities without prayer? We cannot. Humble people are broken people, they are desperate. God flows best through broken vessels. God flows best through humble people because humble people die daily. Pastor Tracy Noel of Bloomington, IN said it well, “Prayerful people pray because they realize they’re not perfect people.” They have decreased, there is no room for pride. Pride blinds the eyes, deafens the ears, hardens the heart, and closes the hand. It is comfortable. Humility can see brokenness, hear pain, feel compassion, and give until it has nothing left. Christ humbled Himself, submitted His will, and gave His life for people that would reject Him. Will you do the same? Will you pray?
