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City of Light Church
Sermon Notes: 9.14.2025 Pride: The Prayer Blocker
Speaker: Starie Thompson
Locations & Times
City of Light Church
6725 W Burleigh St, Milwaukee, WI 53210, USA
Sunday 9:00 AM
Introduction
Opening: “Do You Heed the Signs?”
Opening: “Do You Heed the Signs?”
Pride - Hebrew - gā'ôn - Exaltation, arrogance (bad sense)
• Self-exaltation, arrogance
• Thing/Accomplishment - of nations, their wealth, power, and magnificence of buildings
• Self-exaltation, arrogance
• Thing/Accomplishment - of nations, their wealth, power, and magnificence of buildings
Why is Pride so bad?
Resist - Greek - antitassō -: to range in battle against, to oppose one's self,
How does pride impact our prayers?
Pride Short-Circuits Prayer - Pride: A Prayer Roadblock
Pride Makes Us Self-Reliant Instead of God-Reliant
Pride Corrupts Our Motives
Pride Keeps Us from Confession
Pride Exalts Self Over God
How to defeat Pride with Humility
Humble - kānaʿ- (kaw-nah' (Hebrew)) - be brought into subjection, to bend the knee: bring down (low), into subjection, under, humble (self), subdue (under control).
Symptoms of Pride
1. Prayerlessness — Self-Reliance - planning before praying.
2. Defensiveness — correction feels like an attack.
3. Comparison & contempt — you feel taller when others seem smaller.
4. Image management — curating persona, hiding weakness or flaws.
5. Credit-grabbing — quick to boast, slow to thank God.
6. Talking over people — interrupting; needing the last word.
7. Entitlement & impatience — rules are for others; easily offended.
8. Avoiding accountability — dodging mentors who tell hard truth.
9. Won’t apologize — resisting “I was wrong; please forgive me.”
10. Resentment when unseen — bitter if service isn’t noticed or praised.
1. Prayerlessness — Self-Reliance - planning before praying.
2. Defensiveness — correction feels like an attack.
3. Comparison & contempt — you feel taller when others seem smaller.
4. Image management — curating persona, hiding weakness or flaws.
5. Credit-grabbing — quick to boast, slow to thank God.
6. Talking over people — interrupting; needing the last word.
7. Entitlement & impatience — rules are for others; easily offended.
8. Avoiding accountability — dodging mentors who tell hard truth.
9. Won’t apologize — resisting “I was wrong; please forgive me.”
10. Resentment when unseen — bitter if service isn’t noticed or praised.
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
Prayer
Psalm 139:23-24 NLT
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
Psalm 139:23-24 NLT
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
Next Steps
Pray Detector Prayer — Psalm 139:23–24 (daily) — pause and listen.
Confess specifically (James 5:16). Be specific in your confession/Repentance to God
Serve in secret (Matt 6:4,6) — Do one act - (give, help, encourage) this week that no one will know about.
Pray Detector Prayer — Psalm 139:23–24 (daily) — pause and listen.
Confess specifically (James 5:16). Be specific in your confession/Repentance to God
Serve in secret (Matt 6:4,6) — Do one act - (give, help, encourage) this week that no one will know about.