Divine wisdom and understanding is scripturally defined as \u201cthe principal thing\u201d or asset in life, because it\u2019s the power behind all achievements.\u00a0 In a nutshell, understanding is the cause of ability with great success. \u00a0Anything which is not clear can\u2019t be successfully done!\u00a0 Wisdom and understanding is therefore the underlying principal power for the development of technologies, whereby the inventions of machines are made.<\/p>\n
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But what does wisdom and understanding teach us about humility?\u00a0 It teaches us that humility is the basis of divine promotion.\u00a0 On the contrary, pride is the cause of demotion, and of sufferings.<\/p>\n
The sound teachings of our Lord, Who came to this suffering world to \u201cdo all things well\u201d, indicate that exaltation is caused by humility, while downfall or demotion by self-exaltation or pride! \u2013 Matt. 23:12.\u00a0 Giving His counsel on the solution of our problems, Christ, \u201cThe Wisdom of God\u201d (1 Cor. 1:24), refers us to humility.\u00a0 Yes, it takes humility to keep God\u2019s laws to obtain His golden promises of blessings.<\/p>\n
For the benefits of divine freedom from burdens, Christ the Wisdom (Prov. 8:12) has called our attention to humility in Matt. 11:28-30.\u00a0 His advice on humility has become necessary, because pride has acted as a hindrance to His blessings promised to the poor.<\/p>\n
Although our good Lord has expressed His willingness to bless all nations in the state of wants, He has not done so as a result of pride.\u00a0 For example, as the condition of humbleness, under which God\u2019s people should pray to Him for the solutions of their problems is lacking, He has called them to humility with the sure promise of answers to their prayers.\u00a0 I quote: \u201cIf My people, who are called by My name, shall HUMBLE THEMSELVES,<\/p>\n
and PRAY, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear (answer) from heaven and will forgive their sin, and will HEAL their land\u201d \u2013 2 Chron. 7:14.<\/p>\n
Pride in the heart has prevented the majority of Christians from the ministry of prayers.\u00a0 In view of this, their land is still sick and undeveloped:\u00a0 Therefore, all those who have no faith in prayers to God are proud like Satan.\u00a0 What we now need to do to change evil things and heal our land is the spirit of humility, with which we must pray to cause forgiveness and deliverance.<\/p>\n
As a matter of fact, every disobedient person is filled with Satan\u2019s pride, because of which prayers are not offered up to our good God for His blessings.\u00a0 All such proud people deceive themselves! \u2013 James 1:22.<\/p>\n
Oh, when shall God\u2019s proud people standing in need of His marvelous help humble themselves and pray with the abandonment of their sins to receive their request?\u00a0 When shall the satanic spirit of pride depart from them to pray in the Lord\u2019s spirit of meekness and of humility to our Merciful Father and Forgiver of sins for the miraculous supply of their needs?<\/p>\n
Truly, our God considers anyone who does not offer up prayers to Him for help proud.\u00a0 There is therefore no doubt about the fact that the majority of Christians, who are apostate from prayers and supplication, are proud!\u00a0 The sufferings of these people therefore stem from pride:\u00a0 But, because their plight dishonors Him through the breaking of His law of prayer, He has commanded them to humble themselves to pray to Him for their needs, so that His holy Name might not be blasphemed among the pagans through them \u2013 Rom. 2:23-24.<\/p>\n
Out of pride, many a Christian thinks that they can solve their own problems, without Christ.\u00a0 In view of this, they have quit prayers, and face disgrace, dishonoring Him.\u00a0 It\u2019s against this background that He has warned us against self-independence in Jn. 15::5-6.\u00a0 The time for self-independence is not yet fulfilled, because Satan has not yet been condemned into the Everlasting Fire.<\/p>\n
The supplies to us were made by promise to be regular, and so we shall not want, if we humble ourselves before Him and pray to Him, in time of need \u2013 Ps. 50:15.<\/p>\n
For the continuous supply of our needs, we have been admonished to put aside \u201call filthiness\u201d and foolishness and obey the living, and powerful word of command with all meekness \u2013 James 1:21-22.\u00a0 In fact, obedience to God is an expression of humility, if we consider His highest status, while disobedience pride!\u00a0 In this way, we must do our best to observe His commandments, especially the 1st Commandment of God by love, with all our hearts, souls, and minds and strength \u2013 Mk. 12:29-31.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s under His condition of humility and obedience, whereby we are required to worship Him with all our hearts, souls, minds and strength, that all our problems will be finally solved to His glory.\u00a0 The requirement for the operation of the Lord\u2019s power for the supply of our needs was made known to the prophet Jeremiah, when He ordered him to inform the Jewish captives to search for Him with \u201call their hearts\u201d \u2013 Jer. 29:13.<\/p>\n
Straight to the point, the Jewish captives in Babylon were informed that God\u2019s power for deliverance would be found, or would work for defence not by means of half-hearted prayers, but by means of whole-hearted devotions and supplications, backed with all seriousness.\u00a0 He said this to them by letter to correct the wrong half-hearted prayers they had been offering up to Him unanswered:<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with ALL YOUR HEART\u201d \u2013 Jer. 29:13 (Capitals Mine).<\/p>\n
Insufficient Time For Prayers
\nLike the heavenly call to humility in 2 Chron. 7:14, prayers to the Most High, King of the entire universe, require patience and humility until He answers them, at a time when He has been searched for and found.\u00a0 As aforesaid, patience in prayer offers God Yahwe the opportunity for preparation and suitable time for an answer to the request.<\/p>\n
More often than not, the insufficient time for reply to His people deprives Him of His willingness to grant their requests to them.\u00a0 Lack of patience and time is the cause of unanswered prayers in the lives of numerous Christians.\u00a0 Following the insufficient time for prayers, which do not permit the Lord to inform His people in prayers on matters of mutual interests in detail, the prophet Jeremiah was shut up in prison.<\/p>\n
While there, the prophet was offering up prayers to Yahwe for freedom.\u00a0 But as the time for God\u2019s answer to him had not come, due to more undisclosed details, He commanded him to continue to pray.\u00a0 I quote:<\/p>\n
\u201cCall unto Me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not\u201d \u2013 Jer. 33:3.<\/p>\n
You know, if Jeremiah had discontinued his prayers to God at the initial stage, he would not have been informed of the \u201cgreat and mighty things\u201d, unknown to him.\u00a0 But, because he continued to pray to Him with all patience, he was informed of all the details about the return of the Jewish captives plus Christ\u2019s enthronement as king David\u2019s successor in Jer. 33:15.\u00a0 When Jeremiah humbled himself before Yahwe and prayed with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength for a long period of time, his prayers were answered.<\/p>\n
Consequently, Jeremiah was set free, when Jerusalem was besieged by the army of Chaldeans under captain Nebu-zer-adan, on the orders of Emperor Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who was inspired by God to do so \u2013 Jer. 39:11-12 and 17-18.<\/p>\n
Patience In Tribulation
\nIn time of tribulation, the heart-desire of every child of God is fast deliverance from trouble.\u00a0 Hence His counsel:<\/p>\n
\u201cRejoicing in hope (be) patient in tribulation, continuing always in prayers\u201d \u2013 Rom. 12:12.<\/p>\n
In the day of trouble, we should rejoice in hope that we shall be delivered.\u00a0 In addition to this, patience must be exercised at the time of tribulation, while prayers are offered up to our Wonderful God of Israel in Christ\u2019s Name.<\/p>\n
In time of temptations, our faith in God is tried, and so there is a need for much patience, aimed at making believers in temptations perfect and complete, lacking nothing \u2013 James 2:2-4.\u00a0 It takes wisdom to understand that the aim of temptations is the crown of life, which God\u2019s people receive after the temptations \u2013 James 1:12.\u00a0 So, those of us who lack wisdom about the said temptations should ask our God, \u201cThe Only Wise\u201d, in prayers with real faith for His wise counsel.<\/p>\n
Beloved, the blessings of humility in time of prayers to God the Almighty are exaltation.\u00a0 Like Christ, Who humbled Himself, and became obedient to death, even the death of the cross, we have been instructed to humble ourselves.\u00a0 The result of His humility is that He has been highly exalted, and given a name which is above every name.\u00a0 \u201cThat at the name of Jesus every knee must bow, of things in heaven, on earth, and under earth (the 3 worlds): And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father\u201d \u2013 Philip. 2:8-11.<\/p>\n
Christ\u2019s Prayer With Humility
\nThat our Lord humbled Himself and offered up prayers to our Father with tears is on the Biblical record as follows:<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd there appeared as an angel to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.\u00a0 And being in an agony He prayed more seriously and His sweat was like great drops of blood falling down to the ground\u201d \u2013 Lk. 22:43-44.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and Supplications with strong crying and tears to Him that was able to save Him from death, and was heard in that He feared\u201d \u2013 Hebr. 5:7.<\/p>\n
\u00a0These two above-mentioned testimonies of truth concerning His obedience to The First Commandment have shed light on it.\u00a0 This is because our Lord prayed to our Father, by way of obedience to the First Command, with all His heart, soul, mind and strength to please Him.\u00a0 AS a result, His prayer was speedily answered.\u00a0 In answer to prayer, He conquered the devil, took from him the keys to the gates of Death and Hades, and put him under His feet!<\/p>\n
Can we also humble ourselves and pray like Christ to solve our problems of the day!<\/p>\n
A Call To Follow Christ\u2019s Example
\nAll those who wish to have their problems solved have been ordered to pray like Christ, Who prayed to our Father in heaven with crying and tears till the descent of the angelic comforter.\u00a0 To be frank, the ability of many Christians to keep God\u2019s \u201cFirst Commandment\u201d, which is the only requirement for answers to prayers, is the urgent need of the hour!\u00a0 Even if the prayers of the wicked people of Nineveh went answered, having believed God\u2019s warning message to them, the fervent prayers of the saints shall be speedily answered, to reveal His glory to the lost world.<\/p>\n
Humility Of The People Of Nineveh
\nThe wicked residents of Nineveh so humbled themselves that God changed His mind about the destruction of the city.\u00a0 Even the king of Nineveh humbled himself by refusing to sit on his royal throne:\u00a0 He put off his royal robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.\u00a0 The king demonstrated his total humility with his subjects with dry fasting, without tasting any food or water.\u00a0 Not even beasts were excluded from the fasting.<\/p>\n
Both people and animals were clothed with sackcloth alike, crying mightily to God.\u00a0 At the same time, they individually turned from their evil-doings and violence.\u00a0 After they had satisfied the requirement of the Lord, they were pardoned:\u00a0 The plague of destruction ceased! \u2013 Jonah 3:4-10.<\/p>\n
Truth is truth, and nothing can be done against it \u2013 2 Cor. 13:8.\u00a0 Humility is the faith that pleases God, and as a result saves and exalts believers who understand its wonderful effects.\u00a0 The truth in humility, as regards the keeping of the First Commandment in time of worship and prayers, abides for ever; nothing can stop its power!<\/p>\n
Key To Miracles
\nBeloved, the observance of the First Commandment with all humility is the key to God\u2019s great wonders and miracles.\u00a0 Therefore, let\u2019s all live in this amazing truth, by the knowledge of which Christ says that believers are always free from all troubles \u2013 Jn. 8:32.\u00a0 Thanks to God for the revelation of this wonderful truth.<\/p>\n
God bless you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"