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.