As a church, we are seeking to grow in prayerfulness in the year ahead.  As we move into another calendar year of ministry, we are asking the Lord to do 6 things in us as His people.  This is our prayer…Wake Us.  Humble Us.  Change Us.  Anchor Us.  Unite Us.  Send Us.

You can read the post on Wake Us here.  The next prayer we are laying before the Lord is…Humble Us

1 Peter 5:5:  Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

It is so easy for pride to find its way in our hearts and lives.  The longer we follow Jesus, we are tempted to become spiritually proud as if we had something to do with our salvation.  Or that through our outward obedience that we have obtained and earned salvation.  Or that because we have found victory over some sin in our life, that we look down upon anyone who is struggling in that area.

I pray that instead, we might clothe ourselves with humility toward not only the Lord, but one another.  That there would be a brokenness about our spirits.  A sense of teachability and humility that is reflective of the Holy Spirit’s work in us.

Humility is a mark of a true Christ follower.  It is a hallmark in the Kingdom of God.

John the Baptist prayed, as Jesus’ ministry was beginning…He must increase, I must decrease.  The Apostle Paul calls us as God’s people, because we are holy and beloved by Him, and been chosen by Him, Colossians 3 says that out of that identity, then we put on compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.

Paul says in Ephesians 4:3 that we bear with one another in love with all humility, gentleness, and patience.

Jesus talks about in the Gospels that if we are out to exalt ourselves, we’ll be humbled.  But if we are seeking to grow in humility, then in the end, we’ll be exalted.  Because in doing so, we are reflecting the attitude of Christ.

The attitude of Christ is spoken of in Philippians 2, starting in verse 6…though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷ but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. ⁹ Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

A follower of Christ seeks to become like Christ in His humility.

We are charged earlier in Philippians 2…verses 3-4:  ³ Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. ⁴ Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 

I pray among the Crosspoint family, that we might be a people who seek to reject selfish ambition, and count others more significant than ourselves. That we would not be a people who would look to be served, but to serve others.  In humility.

Humble believers say, I can’t do this on my own.

Humble believers say, I’ve got room to grow.

Humble believers say, I’m in sin, and I need to repent.

Humble believers say, I was wrong, will you forgive me?

Humble believers say, I was hurt, but I forgive you.

Humble believers say, my heart needs shepherded by and cared for by someone.

Humble believers say, I’m not here so that my needs are met.  I’m here to meet the needs of others.

Humble believers say, here is my past, but God’s grace is greater.

Humble believers say, I need help.

For the person who doesn’t know Jesus yet, my prayer for you is that you’d humble yourself before our great, loving God.  And that you’d experience the beauty that it is to have an altogether perfect, holy, all powerful God extend to you grace, mercy, and forgiveness.

Lord, humble us.