In the last BLOG we looked primarily at the need for humility in Bible study. Perhaps that is a new subject or one that has not been thought of a lot by many, but surely it points us to the utter need for humility in Bible study. If we are not humbled, which is to be emptied of self and pride, we will do Bible study for self and pride. If we do not have the presence of the Spirit in us in power sharing love for God with us, we will do our study out of love for self. Apart from a deep humility we will do our study in the power of self rather than the power of grace. The same thing is true of prayer. If we are not humbled, we will pray from love for self and pray for the things of self. We may offer religious platitudes or from self-love and pride know that we are to pray in a spiritual manner, but we will not pray out of a broken heart and love for God and His glory. When we pray from the power of self, that is idolatry. When we pray out of love for self, that is idolatry. When our prayer is for self, that too is idolatry. Surely, then, it is obvious that humility is utterly necessary for true prayer.
Daniel 10:12 – “Then he said to me, ‘Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words.'”
If it is the case that all we do in the strength of self and for the purposes of self is idolatry, then it is obvious that most of the prayers in our lives have been nothing less than idolatry. This is simply to say that apart from humility prayer is an idolatrous act of the soul. Perhaps what follows will sound harsh, as if what was said previously was not, but we need to hear things like this in order to be awakened from our proud and self-centered slumbers. The verses below tell us very clearly that our prayers may be nothing but an abomination to the LORD.
Proverbs 15:8 – “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, But the prayer of the upright is His delight.”
Proverbs 15:29 – “The LORD is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of the righteous.”
Proverbs 16:5 – “Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; Assuredly, he will not be unpunished.”
Proverbs 28:9 – “He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, Even his prayer is an abomination.”
When these verses are looked at as a unit, it should hit us very hard. We might try to squirm out of 15:8 and 15:29, but know that pride is a wicked thing to the LORD and so the sacrifice of the proud and the religious activity of the proud are abominations to the LORD. The Law (28:9) prescribes humility. When we turn away our ear from that, it tells us that even our prayers are abominations. All the other things are too, but even the most religious and spiritual thing we do is an abomination to the LORD. Without humility our prayers are abominations to the LORD. This is not something to play games with or to ignore, but it tells us that we must pursue humility at all costs. Every moment that we are not humble we are not seeking God but self in all that we do. It takes our religious actions and makes them nothing but abominations to God. Humility is not a subject that we can just ignore or put on the back burner except to our eternal peril.
We can imagine a person in a deep and dark jungle praying to a statue. We know that is idolatry. But what about us when we are praying to ourselves and for ourselves? “The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector” (Luke 18:11). It is certainly possible to pray to ourselves because without humility we are not praying to God though we may use His name as the Pharisee certainly did. The Pharisee was his own god in this prayer despite the address to the living God. Our prayers can also have the same focus that the Pharisee had and as such they are to ourselves as well. Matthew 6:5 also says this: “When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.” Prayer for the purposes of self means a prayer that is not to God. Surely our desperate need for humility before and during prayer is seen. Apart from humility we are nothing more than the Pharisees. Even if we don’t use the same words the Pharisees did, we can still have that attitude in our hearts.
What about preachers and their prayers? Do they just pray to do their duty and get through the service? Do they pray to get an amen from the people? Do they pray to get people to think highly of them as they pray? What is their highest motive in prayer? What is their greatest love in prayer? We can’t just pray. The point that I am trying to drive at is that we must all be humbled or our prayers are an abomination to God. Humility is that important.
God Loves... Himself 
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