Relying on God's Grace - Protestant Caucus/Devotional

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:3).

Poverty of spirit is a prerequisite to salvation and to victorious Christian living.

In Luke 18:9-14 Jesus tells of two men who went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, the other a tax collector. The Pharisee boasted to God about his self- righteous efforts; the tax collector humbly acknowledged his sin. The Pharisee was proud and went away still in sin; the tax collector was poor in spirit and went away forgiven.

The Greek word translated "poor" in Matthew 5:3 was used in classical Greek to refer to those reduced to cowering in dark corners of the city streets begging for handouts. Because they had no personal resources, they were totally dependent on the gifts of others. That same word is used in Luke 16:20 to describe Lazarus the poor man.

The spiritual parallel pictures those who know they are spiritually helpless and utterly destitute of any human resources that will commend them to God. They rely totally on God's grace for salvation, and they also rely on His grace for daily living. Jesus called them happy people because they are true believers and the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

The word translated "theirs" in Matthew 5:3 is emphatic in the Greek text: the kingdom of heaven definitely belongs to those who are poor in spirit. They have its grace now and will fully enjoy its glory later (1 John 3:1-2). That's cause for great joy!

Isaiah 57:15 says, "Thus says the high and exalted One who lives forever, whose name is Holy, 'I dwell on a high and holy place, and also with the contrite and lowly of spirit in order to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.'" David added, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise" (Ps. 51:17).

Like the humble tax collector, recognize your weaknesses and rely totally on God's resources. Then He will hear your prayers and minister to your needs. That's where happiness begins!

Thank God that when you come to Him in humility and contrition, He hears you and responds.

Read the following verses, noting God's perspective on pride: Proverbs 6:16-17; 8:13; 11:2; 16:5; 18-19.

Pride topics keep popping up this morning. It seems that was Lucifer’s big sin and it is the focus of society today.

Prayer To Keep Me From Spiritual Pride

Father God, You alone are worthy to receive all honour and might and majesty and power and glory and honour and blessing, for you have created all things and You have made us for Your pleasure and to Your honour, and so I come today to offer myself to be used of You. Thank You, Father, for the spiritual gifts that You have given me. Lord, I know that today there are many evidences all around us that the spiritual gifts that You have graciously given to many in the Church, seem to be abused in the same way that they were misapplied in the church at Corinth.

Lord, I pray that You would use my spiritual gifts as well as my natural abilities to Your praise and glory and not for my own personal use or pride, and Lord, I accept that spiritual gifts are not necessarily an evidence of spirituality. Nevertheless Lord, I pray that I may grow in grace and in a knowledge of Jesus. May I grow spiritually and become mature in the faith, so that my spiritual gifts may be used as befitting a mature man or woman of God.

Humble me if necessary Lord, for I do not want to become puffed up with pride, knowing that You have been bestowed so much grace and generousity with the spiritual gifts that you have given to me. Help me to rightly use all that You have given me wisely and appropriately, and keep me ever low at the cross and broken before You.

Father, I praise and thank You for every spiritual gift I have, and I prayerfully dedicate each one back to You, so that they may be used as You would have me use them, to help and encourage other believers in these difficult times and to lift up Your name – for I desire that You increase in every area of my life and that I decrease, until it is not I, but Christ that lives in me and works through me.

Help me I pray, to discover the proper way to use my spiritual giftings, and I pray that You would teach me how exercise all my spiritual gifts, to Your praise and glory. In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

Source: https://prayer.knowing-jesus.com/Prayers-about-Spiritual-Gifts#1058

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