4 Signs Pride Is Blocking Your Blessings…
Wondering why God hasn’t rescued you yet? It may be that pride is keeping you from full restoration.
“Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” A leper presented himself to Jesus with those words.
He had a horrific illness and he asked Jesus to heal him. Jesus reached out his hand and touched the leper. Then He said, “I am willing. Be clean!” and immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.
I have been studying humility and prayerfully pursuing a more humble mindset. It is God’s next step for me. I pray for healing. I have asked Him for restoration. And for the last two years, God and I have been dealing with my pride.
The leper’s experience with Jesus has my attention. I know very little about lepers and their disease, but I do know that they lived as outcasts in leper’s colonies. But this man somehow finds himself face to face with Jesus. Did he leave his colony when he heard the news of Jesus and His power to heal? However it happened, this man allowed his great need to move him to Jesus.
Leprosy is a disease this man couldn’t hide. The nature of his need was exposed. That exposure gave him freedom to admit his need to Jesus.
But many of us have great needs and we keep them quarantined. We separate ourselves from the need because we are ashamed and fearful. We find a way to interact with our world and then escape to tend to our brokenness.
Pride hides, but humility seeks. Humility knows it has needs and looks to the One who supplies them.
Here are 4 Signs Pride Is Blocking Your Blessings…
1. We do not see our need.
In the hymn, Amazing Grace, we sing, “I once was blind, but now I see.” The enemy is the deceiver. He’s proficient at hiding the truth from us.
He labels true darkness as light. He masquerades as an angel of light and his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. (2 Corinthians 11:14-15)
Jesus is the Light of the World. Whoever follows him will have a life filled with life and will never live in the dark. (John 8:12) He is the way to seeing the truth. He is our amazing portion of grace.
Our Prayer:
Gracious God, please shine Your light on the darkness within me. I want to be filled with Your life, Your truth, Your wholeness.
2. We are not willing to admit our need.
Pride hides. That hiding precedes our downfall. (Proverbs 18:12)
Who wants us to hide from God? Who do we associate with destruction?
Satan works to steal, kill and destroy. He lives in the darkness and invites us to live there too. The darkness is home of condemnation and shame. Lies are born in the darkness. They start with “I’m ok” when you are really not ok. And they lead to deadly sins.
Humility confesses weakness. It’s been quite a long journey, but I am getting better at saying to God, I am weak in “this area” and I need your power to come and rest on me here. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10) I’ve been wading in the kiddie pool of confessing my sins to other people.
God has graciously given me friends I can trust with my weaknesses. When I am brave enough to admit how I feel or what I have done, they listen and pray for me. And after the telling of the “thing,” I feel relief. Great relief.
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. (James 5:16)
Our Prayer:
God, I have not been very brave about my weaknesses. I have boldly lied about being “ok” to myself and others. Fear, shame and lies have kept me from receiving Your help. Fill me with courage to confess to you and the safe people in my life. Help me to live in the light of Your pure love.
3. We do not believe God has the power to cure, deliver, or restore us.
That lack of faith can be attributed to Satan who wants to hold us captive, away from the abundant life (everything we need) that God offers. (John 10:10)
God’s Word says, “He restores my soul.” (Psalm 23:3) His name is Jehovah Rapha, our Healer. (Exodus 15:26) Jesus demonstrated His power to heal during his ministry on earth.
Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith. (Hebrews 12:2) He can heal our broken faith.
Our Prayer:
Father, open my eyes, my mind, and my soul to know You as Healer. Grant me a bold faith that approaches You with confidence as the leper did.
4. We do not believe He is approachable or interested in our desires.
Jesus died so that we could approach God’s throne with confidence – a confidence that He would hear us and help us. He gave up His heavenly throne for a life on earth, a death and a resurrection, so that all the resources of heaven could now be shared with me and you. That is the really Good News.
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16
Have you doubted that you deserve God’s healing?
Have you assumed healing isn’t for you because you have not experienced X,Y & Z yet?
Has mercy been difficult to accept?
Who is the source of these ideas?
God’s Word will move us away from the lies – the lies that keep us from humbly asking God for what we need and/or what He wants to give.
Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you. (Matthew 7:7)
Our Prayer:
Father, please forgive my unbelief. Teach me who You are and who I am to You.
Help me see You as all powerful and merciful.
Lord, Help me to admit that I am needy.
Help me to come before you with open hands ready to receive from You.
Clothe me with Jesus’ humility. I do not want to spend another moment hiding from You, the fountain of LIFE.
Grant me the gift of companions who drink from Your fountain and find You faithful. Fill their mouths with Your wisdom for me. Fill my mouth with the truth. Do not let me hide from You or those You have appointed to help me.
You are my Wonderful Counselor and I am in great need of Your help.
In Jesus, I pray. Amen
