Blessings Of Humility And Prayer
Divine wisdom and understanding is scripturally defined as “the principal thing” or asset in life, because it’s the power behind all achievements. In a nutshell, understanding is the cause of ability with great success. Anything which is not clear can’t be successfully done! Wisdom and understanding is therefore the underlying principal power for the development of technologies, whereby the inventions of machines are made.
But what does wisdom and understanding teach us about humility? It teaches us that humility is the basis of divine promotion. On the contrary, pride is the cause of demotion, and of sufferings.
The sound teachings of our Lord, Who came to this suffering world to “do all things well”, indicate that exaltation is caused by humility, while downfall or demotion by self-exaltation or pride! – Matt. 23:12. Giving His counsel on the solution of our problems, Christ, “The Wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:24), refers us to humility. Yes, it takes humility to keep God’s laws to obtain His golden promises of blessings.
For the benefits of divine freedom from burdens, Christ the Wisdom (Prov. 8:12) has called our attention to humility in Matt. 11:28-30. His advice on humility has become necessary, because pride has acted as a hindrance to His blessings promised to the poor.
Although our good Lord has expressed His willingness to bless all nations in the state of wants, He has not done so as a result of pride. For example, as the condition of humbleness, under which God’s people should pray to Him for the solutions of their problems is lacking, He has called them to humility with the sure promise of answers to their prayers. I quote: “If My people, who are called by My name, shall HUMBLE THEMSELVES,
and PRAY, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear (answer) from heaven and will forgive their sin, and will HEAL their land” – 2 Chron. 7:14.
Pride in the heart has prevented the majority of Christians from the ministry of prayers. In view of this, their land is still sick and undeveloped: Therefore, all those who have no faith in prayers to God are proud like Satan. What we now need to do to change evil things and heal our land is the spirit of humility, with which we must pray to cause forgiveness and deliverance.
As a matter of fact, every disobedient person is filled with Satan’s pride, because of which prayers are not offered up to our good God for His blessings. All such proud people deceive themselves! – James 1:22.
Oh, when shall God’s proud people standing in need of His marvelous help humble themselves and pray with the abandonment of their sins to receive their request? When shall the satanic spirit of pride depart from them to pray in the Lord’s spirit of meekness and of humility to our Merciful Father and Forgiver of sins for the miraculous supply of their needs?
Truly, our God considers anyone who does not offer up prayers to Him for help proud. There is therefore no doubt about the fact that the majority of Christians, who are apostate from prayers and supplication, are proud! The sufferings of these people therefore stem from pride: But, because their plight dishonors Him through the breaking of His law of prayer, He has commanded them to humble themselves to pray to Him for their needs, so that His holy Name might not be blasphemed among the pagans through them – Rom. 2:23-24.
Out of pride, many a Christian thinks that they can solve their own problems, without Christ. In view of this, they have quit prayers, and face disgrace, dishonoring Him. It’s against this background that He has warned us against self-independence in Jn. 15::5-6. The time for self-independence is not yet fulfilled, because Satan has not yet been condemned into the Everlasting Fire.
The supplies to us were made by promise to be regular, and so we shall not want, if we humble ourselves before Him and pray to Him, in time of need – Ps. 50:15.
For the continuous supply of our needs, we have been admonished to put aside “all filthiness” and foolishness and obey the living, and powerful word of command with all meekness – James 1:21-22. In fact, obedience to God is an expression of humility, if we consider His highest status, while disobedience pride! In this way, we must do our best to observe His commandments, especially the 1st Commandment of God by love, with all our hearts, souls, and minds and strength – Mk. 12:29-31.
It’s under His condition of humility and obedience, whereby we are required to worship Him with all our hearts, souls, minds and strength, that all our problems will be finally solved to His glory. The requirement for the operation of the Lord’s power for the supply of our needs was made known to the prophet Jeremiah, when He ordered him to inform the Jewish captives to search for Him with “all their hearts” – Jer. 29:13.
Straight to the point, the Jewish captives in Babylon were informed that God’s power for deliverance would be found, or would work for defence not by means of half-hearted prayers, but by means of whole-hearted devotions and supplications, backed with all seriousness. He said this to them by letter to correct the wrong half-hearted prayers they had been offering up to Him unanswered:
“And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with ALL YOUR HEART” – Jer. 29:13 (Capitals Mine).
Insufficient Time For Prayers
Like the heavenly call to humility in 2 Chron. 7:14, prayers to the Most High, King of the entire universe, require patience and humility until He answers them, at a time when He has been searched for and found. As aforesaid, patience in prayer offers God Yahwe the opportunity for preparation and suitable time for an answer to the request.
More often than not, the insufficient time for reply to His people deprives Him of His willingness to grant their requests to them. Lack of patience and time is the cause of unanswered prayers in the lives of numerous Christians. Following the insufficient time for prayers, which do not permit the Lord to inform His people in prayers on matters of mutual interests in detail, the prophet Jeremiah was shut up in prison.
While there, the prophet was offering up prayers to Yahwe for freedom. But as the time for God’s answer to him had not come, due to more undisclosed details, He commanded him to continue to pray. I quote:
“Call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not” – Jer. 33:3.
You know, if Jeremiah had discontinued his prayers to God at the initial stage, he would not have been informed of the “great and mighty things”, unknown to him. But, because he continued to pray to Him with all patience, he was informed of all the details about the return of the Jewish captives plus Christ’s enthronement as king David’s successor in Jer. 33:15. When Jeremiah humbled himself before Yahwe and prayed with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength for a long period of time, his prayers were answered.
Consequently, Jeremiah was set free, when Jerusalem was besieged by the army of Chaldeans under captain Nebu-zer-adan, on the orders of Emperor Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who was inspired by God to do so – Jer. 39:11-12 and 17-18.
Patience In Tribulation
In time of tribulation, the heart-desire of every child of God is fast deliverance from trouble. Hence His counsel:
“Rejoicing in hope (be) patient in tribulation, continuing always in prayers” – Rom. 12:12.
In the day of trouble, we should rejoice in hope that we shall be delivered. In addition to this, patience must be exercised at the time of tribulation, while prayers are offered up to our Wonderful God of Israel in Christ’s Name.
In time of temptations, our faith in God is tried, and so there is a need for much patience, aimed at making believers in temptations perfect and complete, lacking nothing – James 2:2-4. It takes wisdom to understand that the aim of temptations is the crown of life, which God’s people receive after the temptations – James 1:12. So, those of us who lack wisdom about the said temptations should ask our God, “The Only Wise”, in prayers with real faith for His wise counsel.
Beloved, the blessings of humility in time of prayers to God the Almighty are exaltation. Like Christ, Who humbled Himself, and became obedient to death, even the death of the cross, we have been instructed to humble ourselves. The result of His humility is that He has been highly exalted, and given a name which is above every name. “That at the name of Jesus every knee must bow, of things in heaven, on earth, and under earth (the 3 worlds): And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” – Philip. 2:8-11.
Christ’s Prayer With Humility
That our Lord humbled Himself and offered up prayers to our Father with tears is on the Biblical record as follows:
“And there appeared as an angel to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in an agony He prayed more seriously and His sweat was like great drops of blood falling down to the ground” – Lk. 22:43-44.
“Who in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and Supplications with strong crying and tears to Him that was able to save Him from death, and was heard in that He feared” – Hebr. 5:7.
These two above-mentioned testimonies of truth concerning His obedience to The First Commandment have shed light on it. This is because our Lord prayed to our Father, by way of obedience to the First Command, with all His heart, soul, mind and strength to please Him. AS a result, His prayer was speedily answered. In answer to prayer, He conquered the devil, took from him the keys to the gates of Death and Hades, and put him under His feet!
Can we also humble ourselves and pray like Christ to solve our problems of the day!
A Call To Follow Christ’s Example
All those who wish to have their problems solved have been ordered to pray like Christ, Who prayed to our Father in heaven with crying and tears till the descent of the angelic comforter. To be frank, the ability of many Christians to keep God’s “First Commandment”, which is the only requirement for answers to prayers, is the urgent need of the hour! Even if the prayers of the wicked people of Nineveh went answered, having believed God’s warning message to them, the fervent prayers of the saints shall be speedily answered, to reveal His glory to the lost world.
Humility Of The People Of Nineveh
The wicked residents of Nineveh so humbled themselves that God changed His mind about the destruction of the city. Even the king of Nineveh humbled himself by refusing to sit on his royal throne: He put off his royal robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. The king demonstrated his total humility with his subjects with dry fasting, without tasting any food or water. Not even beasts were excluded from the fasting.
Both people and animals were clothed with sackcloth alike, crying mightily to God. At the same time, they individually turned from their evil-doings and violence. After they had satisfied the requirement of the Lord, they were pardoned: The plague of destruction ceased! – Jonah 3:4-10.
Truth is truth, and nothing can be done against it – 2 Cor. 13:8. Humility is the faith that pleases God, and as a result saves and exalts believers who understand its wonderful effects. The truth in humility, as regards the keeping of the First Commandment in time of worship and prayers, abides for ever; nothing can stop its power!
Key To Miracles
Beloved, the observance of the First Commandment with all humility is the key to God’s great wonders and miracles. Therefore, let’s all live in this amazing truth, by the knowledge of which Christ says that believers are always free from all troubles – Jn. 8:32. Thanks to God for the revelation of this wonderful truth.
God bless you.
