,
Praise you, Jesus, for the virtues you have instilled in me so far. Now I ask for more: the ones mentioned in the title of this prayer.
Your disciple,
Allen
@allenbanta If you are brave enough, pray this prayer.
āSearch me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!ā Psalm 139:23-24
Peter
PeterC, do you fine any grievous way in me? If/when you do Ill work on it.
Allen
Hi Allen!
Hey I just read your post and title again. One little piece of advice, and Iām not joking at all.
Absolutely pray for Godās mercy and pray for His encouragement. But itās not wise to pray for humility. Scripture is clear that we are to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. SO thatās a āyou responsibilityā thing.
From experience, I came to a place in my life where I had been a believer many years, and God had blessed in every way possible I guess, and I began to feel that I didnāt have the close fellowship with God that I had once had. I decided it must be some inner root of pride, so I prayed for Him to humble me, no matter what it took. I prayed that, earnestly, for months.
It was a few years later, after I had lost everything, that I read Watchman NĆ©eās book āThe Normal Christian Life.ā It was in the forward, I think, where he gave the advice ānever pray for humility, because itās a commandment from God to humble yourself. If you ask God to do it, He is faithful, He will do it, and you will regret that you asked, when you could have just been obedient. God is very thorough, and you wonāt like it.ā
How true that is. So set yourself to put on humility every day like a cloak, rendering to God the obedience and servanthood that is due Him.
He is faithful. He is God. Hereās the rest of the verse - āhumble yourself before the Lord, and HE WILL LIFT YOU UP in due timeā. That part is true as well.
Be blessed Allen!
Your brother
Hi Pater!
Thanks for hearing my plea-Iāve really been in the dark about what humility is all about, I confess. So Iām delighted you straightened me out, Pater. And you did it so well. Now, I believe I understand humility better intellectually, so it impends upon me to gain the experience needed to have a heartfelt understanding of it. So Iām thinking a way to start is to follow your directions, and simply obey, and abide in it with/ Friend, and see where we go from there. Because your response is accurate and clear, I trust it wholly (or so I should say HOLY).
Before I stop tonight, let me say that I feel itās no accident I came across this website, and I look fwd to praying and growing with/ you all.
It is a joy to āmeetā you, and I commit to beginning the journey with you all. Good evening! Sincerely Allen
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A- Sounds like you took offense at my comment. B- Seems like a defensive posture. Let me explain. I was not attacking or accusing you of anything. May I remind you of what you said?
I was asking you if you have prayed a prayer like this. This can be a scary concept for some to ask God to search their heart and reveal if there is anything in their lives that needs improvement. It can be difficult for some, due to the fact that they feel they are good.
Peter
Peter, I wasnāt aware of taking offense or being defensive- blind spots for me. Thanks for pointing them out. Ill be more cautious not to do them. So the how-toās for that? Yes, it can be a little scary learning your faults. But I donāt mind. I find I get a little more courageous to change each time I get challenged.
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All I can provide are Biblical answers as a guide. Do I follow them all the time? I would be lying if I said yes. One of my struggles has been anger, particularly the kind that feels like Iām transforming into the Hulk. My kids would often say that. It took me a long time to address this issue, and Iām still working on it.
āA soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.ā Proverbs 15:1
āKnow this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;ā James 1:19
āLet all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.ā Ephesians 4:31-32
As with taking offense, being defensive, and or being angry, perhaps these may help.
Peter
PeterC, yes, I think those verses will help. I will try them. So Iāll know they are: Proverbs 15:1, James 1:19, and Ephesians 4:31-32. It took me a long time to overcome shyness, self-consciousness; still working on the self-consciousness.