Humility in Prayer

II  Chronicles 34:26-27 

Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD,  ‘This is what the LORD,  the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard: Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what He spoke against this place and its people, and because you humbled yourself before Me and tore your robes and wept in My  presence, I have heard you, declares the LORD. 

Josiah was a good king. He walked in the ways of his grandfather David. David was a man after God's  own heart. 

There was a humility with David that comes through his words, his life and the Psalms he wrote. When he was told about the future of his kingdom by Nathan the prophet he replied:

2 Samuel 7:18-21 Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said:“Who am I, Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that You have brought me this far? And as if this were not enough in Your sight, Sovereign LORD, You have also spoken about the future of the house of Your servant—and this decree, Sovereign LORD is for a mere man! “What more can David say to you? For You know your servant, Sovereign LORD. For the sake of Your word and according to Your will, You have done this great thing and made it known to Your servant. 

The news of David's being honored and his name living forever through his descendants was overwhelming and humbled him.

When Josiah heard how far the nation was away from the Law of God given through Moses he wept and mourned. He humbled himself.

He sets an example for us. 

1. Humble Yourselves

Ninevah is another example.

Matthew 12:41 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here. 

The people of Nineveh humbled themselves.

Jonah and Jesus similarities.

3 days and 3 nights

Back from the dead with the marks to prove it.

A message of repentance when they came.

When we read God's Word we are ought to be humbled:

*God speaks to us.

*God points things out in our lives that need correcting.

*Our response ought to be humility.

When we look at the sin in our nation today we should be humbled. We should call upon the LORD for mercy. 

2. Humility is not knowing the solution when you are praying.

We so desperately want to know.

Admitting to the LORD we do not know.

Psalm 95:3-5 For the Lord is the great God,the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth,and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it,and his hands formed the dry land. 

Psalm 95:4, 6-7 In his hand are the depths of the earth,and the mountain peaks belong to him. Come, let us bow down in worship,let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our Godand we are the people of his pasture,the flock under his care. Today, if only you would hear his voice...

We pray because of our dependency upon the LORD.

Our dependency includes not knowing what to do many times.

Asking for wisdom is an act of humility.

The Book of Proverbs opens with Solomon explaining this need to his son and us.

3. Humility is sensing our great need of God.

It is greater than we can imagine.

It is greater than everything.

I Need Thee Every Hour

We have a personal account of the genesis of "I Need Thee Every Hour": Hawks writes, "One day as a young wife and mother of 37 years of age, I was busy with my regular household tasks during a bright June morning [in 1872]. Suddenly, I became so filled with the sense of nearness to the Master that, wondering how one could live without Him, either in joy or pain, these words were ushered into my mind, the thought at once taking full possession of me -- 'I Need Thee Every Hour. . . .'" 

Sensing that need causes us to pray continually. Perhaps one of the reasons so many struggle in this is that we do not feel that need. We may say, "I am not hungry." Does that mean we do not need food? Or we may say, "I am not thirsty." Some have said that and ended up dehydrated. 

I am not saying we do not know we need to pray. I am saying we have enough distractions and some of them are in the vast array of things we own, that we do not feel the need to pray therefore we don't. The truth is we do need Him every hour, every moment.

4. Humility is trusting in Him alone.

Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus

Ten years later Louisa Stead would write the words to this well known hymn. The family decided one day to enjoy the sunny beach at Long Island Sound, New York. While eating their picnic lunch, they suddenly heard cries of help and spotted a drowning boy in the sea. Mr. Stead charged into the water. As often happens, however, the struggling boy pulled his rescuer under water with him, and both drowned before the terrified eyes of wife and daughter. Out of her ‘why?’ struggle with God during the ensuing days glowed these meaningful words from the soul of Louisa Stead.”

We have a large amount of resources to occupy our time, to soothe our troubles. All we need is God! He is all I need.

5. Humility is looking to heaven.

Not looking to my own hoarded resources

Not looking at the stock exchange

Not playing Lotto and hoping for that big win.

Not wishing for luck to come way.

Looking unto Jesus

Hebrews 12:2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

God's Work

I Samuel 17.47

People will know if there is a work of God going on.

It is not by might nor by power but by His Spirit that God's work is done.

If we are surrendered to Him, the battle belongs to the LORD. Make no mistake about it, it is a battle.

1. He will work wonders.

2. He will bring victory.

3. He will glorify Himself.

God is in control.  

Growing In Spiritual Power

II Chronicles 27.1-6

Walking steadfastly before the LORD brings spiritual power.

Steadfastly

Established, stable, secure

Being Established 

Being stable

Making your election and calling sure II Peter 2.10

A strong spiritual life means that the Holy Spirit has control of the vessel. Then He can fill it to overflowing. He can send it into the places where He wants it to be and where it will be used in powerful ways.

Many men pray for the power of God.

 

More every year.  Those prayers sound powerful, sincere, godly and

without ulterior motive.  Hidden under such prayer and fervor, however,

are ambition, a craving for fame, the desire to be considered a

spiritual giant.  The man who prays such prayer may not even know it,

but such dark motives and desires are in his heart ... in your heart.

 

Even as men pray these prayers, they are hollow inside.  There is

little internal spiritual growth.  Prayer for power is the quick and

the short way, circumnavigating internal growth.

 

There is a vast difference between the outward clothing of the Spirit's

power and the inward filling of the Spirit's life.  In the first,

despite the power, the hidden man of the heart may remain unchanged. In

the latter, that monster is dealt with.

The path to power used by God in His Kingdom is a pathway of inner spiritual growth.  So if you are desiring to work for God you must first let Him do a work in your own heart.

1. Humble Yourself

Tell Him what you need Him

Realize without Him you can do nothing.

Ask for forgiveness

Give Him all glory for your successes.

Pray

Don't believe your own press.

2. Obey His Word - John 8.31

John 8.31 Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples."

Read it.

Regularly 

Have a plan to go through the whole Bible.

Keep your appointments with God.

Hear it.

Every chance you get.

Do what it says.

Obedience to Him out of love for Him is beautiful. Dr Aileen Coleman

Jotham did this.

3. Be a Servant

Follow the example of Christ Jesus as a servant. Philippians 2.5-11

Let this be your attitude.

Let this mind be in you.

Your attitude should be the same of Christ Jesus... Make me a servant.

There is such joy in this.

It is a safe place to be.

There are such blessings.

John 12:26 Whoever serves Me must follow Me; and where I am, My servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves Me. 

4. Keep Your Eyes on Jesus Hebrews 12.2

Fix them on Him.

to turn the eyes away from other things and fix them on something.

Pleasure

Fame

Money

Power

5. Run the Race with Perseverance. Hebrews 12.1

steadfastness, constancy, endurance

to remain i.e. abide, not recede or flee

to persevere: under misfortunes and trials to hold fast to one's faith in Christ

to endure, bear bravely and calmly: ill treatments

Climbing the mountain on the Sugarloaf Trail in New Hampshire

My grandkids who went up this past week are the fourth generation in our family to do this trek into some of the most beautiful mountains in the world. My Dad started it. I remember him leading us up there 50 years ago. When my daughters were about the same age they hiked it. Monday my grandkids, Emma and Jackson join the fellowship of family members who have reached the summit.

Tonya and I kept going because we knew what was ahead. We knew the rewards awaiting us as my son-in-law put it.

The entire Presidential Range with majestic Mount Washington in the center came into view from the summit. We ate lunch, took in the gorgeous view, took some video and pictures then headed back down. At the base of the mountain is a river. Children and adults were frolicking in it. We joined them. I took the ice cold water and threw up into my face. I put my feet in. My grandson, Jackson, joined me. It was so refreshing to our weary bodies and feet.

Our work joins a number of memories already in our minds and gave us a sense of accomplishment.  Our growth in spiritual power comes from our walk with the LORD. The closer we walk the more we make ourselves available to Him.

Audio of The LORD Alone Is Enough

https://www.facebook.com/groups/167379759957148/permalink/1083307881697660/

Audio of The Watch of the LORD

https://www.facebook.com/groups/167379759957148/permalink/1083307675031014/

The LORD Alone Is Enough

II Chronicles 25.5-12

Our natural inclination when we are confronted with a difficult situation is to try and figure out how we can face it. We naturally lean on our won understanding. We think about ways we can face the challenge in front of us.

Oswald Chambers said that is it not part of the natural man to pray. Prayer is supernatural. It involves looking to heaven rather than to earth or ourselves for resources. It is by faith we pray.

Hebrews 11:1, 6 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. 

In this case of Amaziah the LORD sent a man of God, a prophet to him to get His Word to Him.  

We have His Word today. We ought to be receiving it each day as we walk with the LORD.

Yet we have this treasure in a jar of clay. There are times when we fall short of seeking first His Kingdom.

When that happens we stumble. Seek to have the faith of Abraham!

Romans 4:18-21 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. 

We stumble or struggle at the point of faith because we look at the situation and...

1. Our Assessment of the Battles are often incorrect.

We are not going to make it.

I know one day Saul will kill me. -David

1 Samuel 20:3  as surely as the LORD lives and as you live, there is only a step between me and death.” 

Its all over.

How quickly we can cash in!

Don't cash in. Cast in!

We have fished all night. Yet at Your word we will...

Amaziah made some big mistakes in planning to work in his own strength. He needed to depend upon the LORD.

2. The LORD is wanting us to depend on Him.

He works in our lives to bring us to that place.

That means our faith will be tested.

II Thessalonians 1:4 Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. 

We have to endure trials.

Romans 15:4-6 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

How do I learn that I can trust God? I must be put to the test. I must be placed in situations where I have to trust Him. We would rather not be in those places. They are uncomfortable, can cause sleepless nights and generally we feel alone in them.

Paul wrote about them in his own life when he wrote to the Corinthians:

2 Corinthians 1:8-11 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many. 

He will not share His glory with another.

Gideon

Judges 7.2-4

Isaiah 42.8 I am the LORD that is my name. I will not yield my glory to another.

3. We can do more with less when we follow the LORD.

That is true with hurry.

Ruthlessly remove hurry from your life. - Dallas Willard

This is often true with money.

Personally

Things, possessions become weights that hold us down.

Dr. Ben Carson, in his speech to the NRA, this week was speaking about his life. He said when people say, "No one has ever done that before," it never bothered him. He has always said, "I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me." And so can you!

We like safety and security. The LORD calls us away from that...

Abraham

Jacob

Joseph

Moses

The disciples

Acts is a book of missions.

Revelation is what you get for serving Jesus!

Names of God -  El Shaddai

 

The name El Shaddai first appears in Gen. 17:1-2 Remember  El is the God of power and might.  Shaddai comes from the word ‘field’, and is also translated ‘breast’. It means provision and abundance.  Ending in ai makes it plural possessive just as Adonai.  We could translate it ‘He who is all sufficient’.  God is more than enough to meet all your needs in any situation. Look at the impossible need in this first revelation of the name.