Prayer Time 10-22-25

Update on Prayer Line

Lesson

Turn to James chapter 4.

I’m going to share with you all what God shared with me the week I was in Amarillo helping my Sis. Humility in my prayer time.

Let’s read James 4:1-10

James 4:1–10 CSB

1 What is the source of wars and fights among you? Don’t they come from your passions that wage war within you? 2 You desire and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and wage war. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and don’t receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. 4 You adulterous people! Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the friend of the world becomes the enemy of God. 5 Or do you think it’s without reason that the Scripture says: The spirit he made to dwell in us envies intensely? 6 But he gives greater grace. Therefore he says: God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. 7 Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be miserable and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Most people want things and will go to extreme measures in order to get them. They quarrel, fight, and even kill, as the Bible says, but they never take the time to pray and ask God for help.

We have two choices to make whenever we face circumstances in our lives: we can either face our problems with our own strength and ability, or we can turn to God in prayer so we can face our problems with His strength and ability. The choice is really up to us.

Choosing to look for God’s strength in prayer is just the first step. After we choose to seek God thru prayer, we then need to learn some important lessons. We have to learn to invest effort in something that doesn’t come naturally to us, and we have to learn humility in the process.

I love Jesus’ teaching in the upper room in John 15.

John 15:1–11 “1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me. 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be my disciples. 9 “As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 “I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.”

How are you abiding, staying connected to Jesus? Look at verses 10 and 11 again.

John 15:10–11 “10 If you keep my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 “I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.”

Instead of practicing humility we resort to making corrections in our own strength.

In order to pray we must learn how to spend time talking to God.

It requires us to admit that we need God’s help, which is humbling. Most people I know resist humility.

But in God’s eyes, humility is not optional. We must learn humility or we will be taught humility the hard way.

James writes, “But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble’” (James 4:6).

A great definition of grace is God’s empowering strength for us to do what He called us to do and to be what He has called us to be.

The Bible is clear when it comes to receiving grace. If we want that kind of strength in our lives, then we’ve got to get over ourselves and be humble.

So what is humility anyway? The Bible gives a straight answer:

Romans 12:3 CSB

3 For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one.

Humble people don’t try to impress others or themselves by showing off. They see themselves clearly, as people whose best quality is their faith in God, and they keep quiet about the rest. Isn’t that counter-cultural to everything we are taught?

Here’s what Jesus taught during the sermon on the mount.

Matthew 5:43–46 “43 “You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be children of your Father in heaven. For he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same?”

That’s humility my friends. Humility grounds us to pray for others: those we envy, those we are angry towards, and those who have broken our trust.

The reality is that it takes more strength to be humble than it does to brag. Any guy can shoot his mouth off and act like he’s the man; anyone can be arrogant and try to do things solo.

It’s harder to be humble and ask for God’s help. So be tough, suck it up, and be a man. Be humble before God.

Prayer Time

Let’s get alone with God tomight and seek His face and aks Him to show us where our pride is getting in the way of abiding, staying deeply connected with Christ. Is it in our home, with our children and spouse? Is it at work, where there is a someone or situation that you have tried to control in your own power? Is it here at church in a ministry or relationship you feel justified in your words and actions?

Stop, remember what we read: James 4:6 “6 But he gives greater grace. Therefore he says: God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Allow God to do some heart surgery tonight.