I. Prayer to enter the Lord’s presence:
Be still for a moment. “Lord, I give the day that is now past to you. It is yours. I give the day that is to come to you; help me to see where you are working and to join you there. Speak to me during these moments. I commit them and myself to you.”
II. Prayer of Confession:
“Lord, you are faithful to forgive me and cleanse me of my sin when I confess it to you. I confess my sin(s) of ______________. Thank you for forgiveness.” (1 John 1:9)
III. Prayer of Thanksgiving:
Choose to be thankful, speak out loud of what God has done.
“Thank you, Father, for _________________. Fill my heart and my mouth with gratitude throughout this day.”
IV. Scripture Reflection
Read: Proverbs Chapter 16
Reflect:
Proverbs 16:18
18 Pride comes before destruction,
and an arrogant spirit before a fall.
Even though it’s not explicitly stated, humility is what is valued in this proverb. It does this by using the negative to drive us to what’s really valued.
“Pride comes before the fall” is kind of like the 23rd Psalm; it seems like everyone is familiar with it, even those who aren’t followers of Christ. This proverb rings true of something people just don’t like: self-centeredness.
Self-centeredness is the core attitude of pride. You can think of self-centeredness as pride turned outward. I think that’s why so many people dislike it so much. Not only is it a focus on self, but it’s making sure everybody around you knows it’s all about you. And pride is a sneaky type of attitude; it wiggles and slides its way into our thoughts and actions. Pride was the keynote to Satan’s rebellion against God. I’ve heard it said before that “pride is really at the core of every sin” and I have to agree. That old adage “what goes up must come down” holds true for pride. When we puff ourselves up, we’re going to come crashing down eventually. Pride ultimately loses what it seeks.
Respond:
Take some time today and think about your own life; are there ways that you’re being self-centered, making life all about you? You might even calculate the price of pride…are you willing to pay that price? I’m sure you’re not! Ask God to give you freedom in those areas where pride raises its ugly head. Freedom comes when we repent and say yes to God. Repentance is the pathway to humility.
V. Prayer for others:
Pray specifically for the concerns of your life and the lives of others.
VI. Prayer of commitment:
“Lord God, I commit to love you with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my strength and with all my mind and to love my neighbor as myself. Empower me today to love you and others with everything that I am.” (Luke 10:27)
This Week’s Scripture Memory:
Proverbs 11:30
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the one who is wise saves lives.