Humbling Ourselves in Prayer

Humility starts in prayer

1 Peter 5:6

 

Pastor Craig Ledbetter

22 September, 2010   PM  Prayer Revival

Bible Baptist Church, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland

www.biblebc.com

 

I.       Introduction (1Peter 5:6)

 

A.     Humility starts in prayer – in the heart as you approach God

B.     That does not mean that when you pray you are automatically humble, but that you must become humble when you pray. The FIRST need when praying is to humble ourselves

C.     And for most people, they can only become humble, AS they pray. It is DURING times of real praying that people become humble

D.     During this Revival, let’s learn how to humble ourselves AS we pray, so that God can both hear us, and answer all our impossible requests!

 

II.    Message

 

A.     Prayer Is Supposed to Humbling. Not invigorating!

 

1.      Not everyone humbles themselves when they pray – the Pharisees didn’t (Mt 6:5; Luke 18:11)

2.      But God’s people MUST humble themselves, if they want God to even HEAR their prayers

 

a.       You will waste your time praying if you have a hard heart towards God, or towards people! REPEAT!

 

3.      Humbling yourself is the act of repentance – being sorry - defined more in the next point

 

a.       When you lower yourself, and come under the authority of God Almighty, you are doing the work of repentance

b.      It removes yourself out of the way between you and God so that he can answer

c.       It makes it easy for God to change you – when you are soft and sorry!

d.      Most people HATE being sorry for all kinds of reasons – but it doesn’t matter

 

4.      God requires

 

a.       A soft heart (2Kg 22:19)

b.      A submitted heart – obedient to God’s word (Ex 10:3; Jam 4:6,7)

c.       A seeking heart – seeking for God only, and not your own protection, or praise

 

B.     The Promised Blessing of Humbling Ourselves (Job 27:29)

 

1.      Removal of Judgment and Troubles (1Kg 21:29; 2Chron 12:12; 32:26; Pr 16:7)

2.      God hears us (2Kg 22:19)

3.      If God hears us then we HAVE the answers to our requests (1John 5:15)

4.      God will Honour us (Pr 29:23; 1Peter 5:6; Luke 14:11)

5.      We will experience Revival (Isaiah 57:15)

 

C.     How to Humble Yourself.

 

1.      Private Confession - Be Honest With God

 

a.       Daily Spiritual Evaluation

 

1)      Search your heart, and be searched (1Cor 11:28; Ps 139:23,24)

2)      Not just the normal sins

3)      But secret sins – filthy sins (2Pet 2:14)

 

b.      Confess/Agree with God about your sins AND the sins of your nation (Dan 9:2-11)

c.       Be Sorrowful – Ashamed – embarrassed of how you ARE, not just what you did!!!

d.      Forsake, Abandon, Hate, Replace all that is wrong in your life with what God offers (Pr 28:13)

e.       All without justifying yourself or your actions

f.       THIS is where you humble yourself first – this is where the work of humility begins. If you skip this part, then any effort you try will not last

g.       It is a great thing to praise God, and to ask God in prayer for the things you need, BUT, it is an absolute mockery of the holiness and honour of God when we come into His presence with any pride at all!

 

2.      Personal Confession – face to face with the ones you have hurt (Mark 11:25; Jam 5:16)

 

a.       You will not be able to go and confess your fault to the person you hurt until you have first gone to God who you hurt first, and confessed to HIM

b.      There is no need to confess your sins to anyone but God (Psalm 51

c.       But if you have a fault, a besetting sin, a bad attitude, something you know that you are doing wrong

 

1)      First go to the one you have hurt, and own up to it – very humiliating

2)      Then you should go to someone you are willing to submit to who will work with you through your thinking, and help you get free

 

3.      Public Confession (Acts 19:17-19)

 

a.       Public sins require public confession

 

1)      Adultery – it always affects more than the two involved!

2)      Thievery

3)      Murder

4)      Extortion – stealing

5)      Witchcraft

6)      Sowing discord among brethren

7)      Sin in church leadership (1Tim 5:19,20)

 

b.      There are some sins that a person will need to stand before the people they have hurt, and confess it, and accept any reaction they may have toward them

c.       It is very humiliating, but most necessary

d.      Part of getting saved is the ability to come out and confess that you are now saved from sin, and belong to Jesus, and that your life is under HIS authority (Rom 10:9,10,11)

 

4.      Humility is an attitude that you…

                                                                                

a.       Must cultivate – doesn’t come naturally – like a garden, only weeds come naturally

b.      Must put on, every day – wear it

c.       Must use, instead of your pride

d.      IF you want answers to your prayers!!!

 

III. Conclusion

 

A.     Let me Remind You of The Promised Blessing of Humbling Ourselves

 

1.      God’s Judgment and Troubles will go away

2.      God will hear our smallest cry

3.      If God hears us then we will HAVE the answers to our requests – If God won’t hear us, then all the repetition, and all the crying, and all the yelling won’t help

4.      God will Honour us

5.      We will experience Revival: in our homes, church, and even in our nation!

 

B.     Tonight as we pray, take the first few minutes and examine yourselves, and confess to God the sins and filth in your life and habits. Maybe you need to go to someone and get things right.

C.     And then PRAY! Believing that once you have confessed, and forsaken things between you, that he will hear and answer you!

D.     What if someone in here got everything they prayed for? Wouldn’t that be awesome? I want to be that person! Anybody else?