The Link Between Prayer and Humility
Today’s Verse:
James 5:16 ESV
The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
James is not subtle.
Pride, selfish ambition, and quarreling are not just impolite; they are the fornication of the soul (4:4). Whenever we seek our own will apart from God, we make Him our enemy. Ouch. And yet. … “He gives more grace.”
Humility starts with an acknowledgement that we are not in charge. That we do not have all the answers. That we are sinners. That we are weak. That we need grace—grace upon grace. Grace to submit ourselves to God, to resist the devil, and to draw near to God (4:7). Humility is not a self-help technique; it is a confession of our need for God.
By the time we reach chapter 5, the topic turns to prayer. Prayer is not a backup plan for believers; it is the oxygen we breathe. Are you suffering? Ask God for help. Rejoicing? Give thanks. Sick? Send for the elders and be anointed. Prayer is not a last-ditch effort for James; it is a first-line treatment.
Notice the link between prayer and humility. We pray only when we admit that we cannot help ourselves. We pray only for others when we care more for their needs than our own ego. The effectiveness of prayer is not related to our self-worth; it flows from our need for the God who hears.
In his Small Catechism, Luther tells us that prayer is based on the Lord’s Prayer, in which we “as children to a merciful Father” address ourselves to God. Humility is not groveling. It is trust. Trust that our Father knows what we need. Trust that He forgives. Trust that when we fall flat on our face, Christ is interceding for us (Romans 8:34).
Prayers
A Prayer for Today:
Lord God, teach us to humble ourselves before You, to resist pride and selfishness. Give us hearts that turn to You in every circumstance—in joy, in sorrow, in need. Shape our prayers not by what we want, but by Your will. And remind us daily that Your grace is enough. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Luther’s Morning Prayer:
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
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