Humility 101

"He who humbles himself shall be exalted." —(Luke 14:11)

"After we humble ourselves, the Lord exalts us. Then, after He exalts us, we should humble ourselves all the more (Sir 3:18). The Lord then will exalt us again, and we should humble ourselves again, etc. This humbling and exaltation should go on throughout our entire lives as the Lord transforms us "from glory to glory into His very image by the Lord Who is the Spirit" (2 Cor 3:18).

Repeatedly, we are tempted to stop God's exaltation of us by refusing to take the lowest place (Lk 14:10), share our meals with the poor or handicapped (Lk 14:13), "associate with those who are lowly" (Rm 12:16), forgive our enemies, confess our sins, look like a fool for Christ (see 1 Cor 4:10), wash the feet of our brothers and sisters (see Jn 13:14), be persecuted for proclaiming the Gospel, take up the daily cross (Lk 9:23), etc. The Lord loves to exalt us. However, we must put ourselves back on the Lord's launching pad by repenting of not humbling ourselves, which thereby halts the Lord's exaltation of us. Where did the process stall out? Repent there. The Lord is eagerly waiting to resume exalting you because He loves you.

  Prayer: Father, I need to be both humbled and exalted. May I do the humbling myself so that You don't have to do it but can exalt me. Promise: "You should be pleased that they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid in the resurrection of the just." —Lk 14:14 Praise: Praise our risen Jesus, Who is meek and humble of heart! Alleluia!"
(Presentation Ministries)

How to please the Father

"This is the will of God, your holiness: that you refrain from immorality."  (1 Thessalonians 4: 3)

My God and Father, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  May your holy will be fully accomplished in me in every detail.  Father, this is what I want today.  But I trust in your grace to make it happen.  Fill me with your Holy Spirit.  Help me to surrender completely to Him.  With the Holy Spirit in full control, He will make me holy without any hindrance and enable your will to be fully accomplished in my life.

He must grow greater

"John's answer was: He must grow greater and I must grow less."  (John 3: 27, 30)

Jesus Christ praised John the Baptist in these glowing words:
"Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."  (Matthew 11: 11)

If John the Baptist, the greatest of all people wanted to grow less so that Christ Jesus would grow more in him, what then should I do?

Lord, help me by your grace to grow less so that you will grow more in me.

Perfect love drives out fear

"But whoever keeps his word, the love of God is truly perfected in him."  (1 John 2: 5)

Lord Jesus, I want to keep your word.  I desire to keep all your commandments.  I also desire to fully accept all that you permit to happen to me.  I consent to your presence in me and I also consent to all that you want to accomplish in me, with me and for me.   I want to enjoy the grace of the present moment.  Grant me this grace, O Lord. 

Endure your trials with a smile

"Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials,
3for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.4And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."  (James 1: 2 - 4)

The Choice, the Call, the Anointing

1 Thessalonians 2:4

"But as we were judged worthy by God to be entrusted with the gospel, that is how we speak, not as trying to please human beings, but rather God, who judges our hearts."

Below is a commentary from John Gills Exposition of the Bible:

"But as we were allowed of God
Or, "approved of God"; not that there were any previous fitness and worthiness in them to be ministers of the word; but such was the good will and pleasure of God, that he from all eternity chose and appointed them to this work; and in his own time by his grace called them to it, and by his gifts qualified them for it, who otherwise were unworthy of it, and insufficient for it. "

Seekfirst.blogspot.com

Without Vision I Perish

Habakkuk 2:2-3
The Righteous Shall Live by His Faith

2 And the Lord answered me:

“Write the vision;
make it plain on tablets,
so he may run who reads it.
3 For still the vision awaits its appointed time;
it hastens to the end—it will not lie.
If it seems slow, wait for it;
it will surely come; it will not delay."

Proverbs 3:3-4

3 Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you;
bind them around your neck;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 So you will find favor and good success
in the sight of God and man."

Habakkuk 2:2-3

My sheep hear my voice

"My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me."  (John 10: 27)

"Father, may everything we do begin with your inspiration and continue with your saving help.
Let our work always find its origin in you and through you reach completion.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever." (Morning Prayer, Monday of the 21st week in Ordinary Time)

Endure your trials as discipline

"Endure your trials as “discipline; God treats you as sons. For what son” is there whom his father does not discipline?"  (Hebrews 12: 7)

Dear Father, I still remember the joy I felt when I encountered the above scripture during my Desert 95 Experience.  I can now describe it with words I learned from Scott Hahn thus:  "Your word transformed  what would have been a "Roman execution to a sacrifice."  I felt I could accept a sacrifice because much good could come from a sacrifice.  Looking back at that experience, I can now say confidently, Thank you Father.

Your consoling words came to me again in the midst of another trial.  When I heard your words, I knew that all is well..  Father, I pray for the following gifts during this trial: faith, wisdom, understanding, humility, courage and peace.  I need the constant companion of your Holy Spirit during the duration of this trial.  Father, make haste to help me..