If you ask me what’s the most destructive element of our human condition, it’s pride. Pride is more than just a subtle weakness or a quirky character trait. Pride will rob you of what God intends you to have and leave you in complete destruction.
During a recent sermon, I talked about the problem of pride and the blessings that come from cultivating humility. Watch this video and I’ll tell you more:
This clip is from the sermon, “The End of the Age—Supernatural on Display.” Watch the full sermon here.
To deal with pride, we need to be aware of the ways it presents itself in our lives, then have the tools to address it. This prayer of preparation can help you ask the Holy Spirit to reveal where you’re harboring pride:
Heavenly Father, You have told us to trust in You with all our heart. You have cautioned that pride goes before destruction and arrogance precedes stumbling. I confess that I have often ignored Your counsel and imagined my strength was sufficient, my training was adequate, my determination would create the desired outcome. I have placed my will above Yours and I have sought my way before accepting Yours. I confess my sin, my pride, and my selfishness. I pray that all ground gained in my life by enemies of the Lord Jesus Christ would be canceled as I repent and overcome these expressions of my carnal nature. Holy Spirit, examine my heart and help me to see the ways I have lived pridefully. In the precious name of Jesus, amen.
If you’ll pray that prayer with sincerity, I believe the Lord will begin to help you see yourself with some new perspective. You’ll see scenes and be reminded of places you need to repent. I would encourage you not to defend yourself, not to justify yourself, and not to excuse it—just take it to the Lord with a prayer like this:
Almighty God, I acknowledge that I have been proud of _____________________ or have expressed pride in ________________. I rejoice in Your forgiveness. I choose to humble myself before You and others. I choose to place my confidence in Your great power and not in my strength. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Download a printable version of these prayers and take them with you through the week. As the Lord reminds you, stop and pray. Release those things that are keeping you from His best plans for you, then step into the freedom He offers as we learn to trust and follow Him in a new way.
— Pastor Allen Jackson