The One Thing God Wants From You in Prayer预览

DAY 5: Our Model for Humility

These devotions in 2 Chronicles have hopefully led us further toward a belief that prayer happens in its most authentic form when we are humble. Solomon helped us see this in action as he built the foundation of his relationships with God and his involvement within his community, not upon his own privilege as king, but rather, upon the firm foundation of humility.

However, it is important to remember that if we speak at all of humility, we do so as Christians, which means as followers of Christ. As such, we are employing the terms humble and humility as though they reflect something distinctively Christian. In other words, we are speaking a Christological (the Doctrine of Christ) language as we discuss what it means to be humble in prayer.

For Christians, we must look no further than Jesus in order to find our example of humility.

Paul described Christ’s humility so beautifully in Philippians 2:5-11:

“Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself.

He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what.

Not at all.

When the time came,

he set aside the privileges of deity

and took on the status of a slave, became human!

Having become human, he stayed human.

It was an incredibly humbling process.

He didn't claim special privileges.

Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life

and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.

Because of that obedience, God lifted him high

and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever,

so that all created beings in heaven and on earth—even those long ago dead and buried—will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father.”

This long passage comes from a letter that the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Philippi. Paul draws the reader’s attention to the reality that Jesus Christ is God. The second member of the Trinity. However, Jesus didn’t remain in heaven. Instead, he came down to earth in order to save his creation, including humans created in his image.

We cannot embody the humility Jesus has modeled for us while remaining prideful. It just doesn’t work.

Paul’s desire for Christians is that they would think of themselves, “The way Christ Jesus thought of himself,” which was humbly (Philippians 2:5).

If humility is the crucial aspect of prayer, Jesus is the model. No one has embodied humility more beautifully, more strikingly, more drastically than him. If we want a more intimate relationship with God in prayer, then, we need to take seriously the person of Jesus Christ.

We hope this plan encouraged you. Learn more at thesecrettoprayerbook.com.