Pray With Humility

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” – James 4:10
 
 
We have discussed the importance of praying with a sincere heart and praying with boldness. Today, we will focus on praying with humility.  
 
Jesus told the following parable in Luke 18:10-14, “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
 
Do not confuse praying with conceit for praying with confidence. While the Pharisee prayed as if he was better than the tax collector, it was the tax collector who saw God’s favor. Prayers that move God are not prayers that offend Him. We must pray to God with honor and humility. We cannot tell God what to do. We cannot demand that God give us our desires. We cannot judge our sins against others in hopes that God will look more favorably on us; the truth is we all sin and fall short of God’s glory.  
 
We are to make our requests known to Him, but we must also realize that how our prayers are answered is totally up to God. Be bold. Be humble. Remember, God does as He sees fit; but His ways are always in your best interest!