PRAYER PROMPT ••• A proud spirit can have expensive consequences.
Our society has all kinds of catchphrases about the dangers of pride.
In the Bible, one of the most well-known commentaries on pride is found in Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”
Pride takes several shapes, including being stubborn in our own ways over God’s as well as being self-reliant instead of humbly grateful for God’s blessings.
Pride can cost us relationships, money, possessions, and it leads to arrogance, defiance, and stubbornness.
It can keep us from being close to God.
A prideful heart is only going to last so long, and ultimately, humility is going to be on every heart — even the most stubborn, when every knee bows and every tongue confesses He is Lord (Romans 14:11).
God loves a humble heart, as evidenced in James 4:10, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.”
The point of humility isn’t that we’re worthless – since Jesus died on the cross for our sakes, we clearly have value to Him.
But our humility keeps the focus on God’s greatness and draws us closer to Him whereas our pride wrongly puts the focus on ourselves and creates a separation between us and God.
Today, as you pray, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal areas of pride in your heart that need to be humbled.
Thank God for His greatness and ask Him to help you focus on His wants, rather than your own.
NOTE: Feel free to comment, but these prayer prompts are meant to be between you and God. Matthew 6:6 — But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
