Pride Before Humility — Lou Sutera

Revival Reading and the Call to Study

There's a book out there by Richard Owen Roberts on revival. It's one of the classics of our day. It just says revival on it. It's the time to read it. It'll bless your heart. It's a classic. This is a real scholar putting down what is the essence of revival.

This is the time that all of us should be reading The Calvary Road. If you haven't read it, read it. Roy Hession, The Calvary Road. He's written 15 other works. We've had him in a number of our conferences.

We fly him in from England. What a man of God as he preaches yet. Get into it. Where do I start reading The Calvary Road, the beginning of our day? Last night in the midst of preaching, and by the way, this is the last time I'm going to preach all that in one night.

I'm going to split it up and preach it on two nights. I don't need that, Ralph. I think I'll stay with this tonight. Because the Lord's given me some other insight to that message. If you ever hear it again, it'll be just half and digging in on a few areas that we had to go quickly because we covered so many points.

But the subject gets bigger and bigger all the time, doesn't it? Amen? Well, I know God spoke to many hearts, but in the rush sometimes of preaching like that to get it all in, you say, why do you preach so much?

You know why? Because I see the nights going by too quickly. You know what? They're going by quickly. I was, where we are now, I was already there on Monday night, and we started on Sunday. By Monday night, I was where we are tonight, Wednesday.

So we're two nights behind, so that's why I'm rushing. But in the midst of the rush sometimes in preaching, I don't clarify everything I say and I don't amplify statements. And I'm glad that we've said so many times, we'd like you folks to minister to us.

If we say something and leave something hanging out there, we don't cover it thoroughly enough. We ought to take a moment the next night. And so last night, when I said something in relation to contemporary Christian music, the way I said it, it implied that I was against all contemporary Christian music.

No, there's some tremendous contemporary Christian music out, but there's much of it that is not doing much for the cause of Jesus Christ. But there is some tremendous contemporary music. I am against rock music, Christian or otherwise.

I believe, if you don't agree with me, that's fine, but I believe there's something in that beat that is not inherently healthy for the spiritual growth and development of life. Now, there's a little booklet on our table entitled Christian Rock, A Strategy of Mephistopheles.

The Stratagem of Mephistopheles, about a dollar, one dollar, get it. And I don't want you to come fighting with me, I've told you what I think of it. Go buy it, one dollar investment, and then study it and see if God would speak to you on it.

This is written by Dr. Noble. Here's another book, Rock and Roll, The Mind and the Bible, by Tom Allen, a young man that was hooked on rock music when he was 17 years of age and 21 years of age he wrote that book, God Set Him Free.

This is our pastor's son, our home church in Mansfield, Ohio. One chapter there is on the rock of ages. And this is a book that young people can take to their public high schools and leave it on their desk, and while they leave it there, some kids will come up and say, what's that book?

He'll say, well, I just bought it through Revival last night, I don't even know what it says. You want it? Well, go ahead, read it, and pass it around, because the last chapter is on the rock of ages, and it's the plan of salvation.

It shows young people that if they're hooked on rock music, they are hopelessly, helplessly bound, and they need a way out. And thank the Lord for the rock of ages that's there. Some people say, you believe in rock and roll?

Yes, rock of ages, and rolled away, rolled away, all the birds of my heart rolled away. Amen? Praise the Lord. But get these books and study them and read them. You know, in Revival, I'll tell you what happens.

God sometimes has to upset us on some areas we thought we had pegged down and pinned down, and we thought we had the answer to it, and it was all sold, sealed, and delivered. Sometimes God has to unearth some of our positions, and thank the Lord for tonight's message, because tonight's message gets us ready to even overthrow maybe some positions we've had standing for years, because we're saying, yes, Lord, what else?

And we're willing to see, and we're willing to study. And you know, the devil would love to get us into a big debate on these issues and divide the spirit of unity in the body of Christ in these days.

And that's why I say, these are items for you to take and study. Don't be too smart too soon. Take them and study them. Let them be a blessing to you, and then if you want further discussion, but these are insights that God has given others.

2 Chronicles 7 and the Conditions for Revival

All right, now tonight in our Bible, 2 Chronicles chapter 7. 2 Chronicles chapter 7. Just keep coming. It's going to get gooder and gooder all the time, I'll tell you. One night's going to get goodest.

If you don't want to miss the goodest, keep coming when it's getting gooder and gooder. Amen? Tremendous. I don't know when I've enjoyed preaching more than to you folks here, and I said that in Flagstaff in the last crusade.

I don't know when I enjoyed it more, but I think you have it beat here. And maybe it's just something about this Arizona air to an Ohioan, a Buckeye, that we really enjoy it, and you have just been drinking, and I can sense it, we can sense it, the presence of God.

I heard somebody say, they were getting people, say, you've got to fill your car, you've got to go, and they were all excited, and they said, oh, heaven has come down upon us. I thought to myself, if they think heaven has come down upon us, they ain't seen nothing yet.

But I thank the Lord that you sensed that. What is it that God is in the presence of his people, and God is speaking in a wonderful way. Now, 2 Chronicles chapter 7, verse 12. And the Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and he said to Solomon by night, and it said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and I have chosen this place to myself for a house of sacrifice.

If I shut up the heavens, that there be no rain. Now, if God's shutting up the heavens, then it's not going to rain. He's talking to his people, and he says, if I shut up the heavens, be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send a pestilence among my people.

Where is God doing it? Among my people. Do we consider ourselves God's people? Yes. God says, if I do all of that, if my people. Now, we never think about God sending that kind of, those things to his people.

Now, what's going on? That God is punishing his people. That's what it is. He's smiting his people. Not because he doesn't love them, but he loves them, and therefore he's speaking with a powerful whip on them.

And he's saying, if you come to that place, if I finally caught your attention, if my people, they'll do something, but you're called by my name. You know what that does to us tonight? That means we close the doors, except for fresh air in the building, and we put the padlock to the door as to where the blame belongs tonight, and we quit blaming Washington or Ottawa and Canada, and our capitals, and all of our public officials.

If my people, let's put it right here where it belongs, amongst God's people, which are called by my name. If you call yourself Christian, sure, that's his name. Christ, Christian, by name, shall have a prayer meeting, like we've now three or four of them tonight, right?

Is that what it says? Shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways. Then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land. Now mine eyes shall be opened, and mine ears attend unto the prayer that is made in this place.

Now God says, my eyes will be opened, my ears shall be attend unto the prayers that are made in this place. Now God says, I'll hear, and God says, I'll see, and I'll be in the midst of my people. Now, this great truth tonight, the question, why did God say we must humble ourselves even before we pray?

Humble ourselves even before we pray. God is saying we have to do something before we pray. Humble ourselves. Well, God started with humility. Let's talk a shade about it before we answer the question.

Defining Humility Before God

Dr. James Kennedy said, what is true humility? It is right thinking about God. I don't know if you've ever heard the definition of humility like that. Don't blame me, Dr. James Kennedy, from Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, Fort Lauderdale.

True humility, right thinking about God, rightly evaluating oneself before God. Right thinking about God, and then rightly evaluating oneself before God. Very interesting. Now, therefore, if God is saying we need to humble ourselves, he's really telling us our problem is we're proud, right?

That makes sense, doesn't it? If he says my people need to humble themselves and pray, it means I see a people that is proud. So then we need to talk about pride, pride. One that trusteth in his own resources, one that trusts in his own ability, trying to work out the problems in his own hand and from his own ability, instead of the 1 Peter chapter 5 concept, casting all your care on him.

Isn't that interesting? One that trusts in his own resources and rests in his own ability, trying to work out his own problems with his own hand and his own abilities, instead of casting himself, on the 1 Peter chapter 5, casting yourself on him, for he cares for you.

Let's go back to Webster, way back in Webster's dictionary. Webster says pride is inordinate self-esteem, conceit, ostentatious display. Inordinate self-esteem. Now get that word inordinate, because that gives the implication that you should have a proper self-esteem, inordinate self-esteem, ostentatious display, conceit.

Let's go back to Charles G. Finney in those revivals over 100 years ago. He said pride is a disposition to exalt myself, to get above others, to hide my defects, to pass for more than we are. Aren't you glad Finney isn't around to preach?

How do I get blessed like that? Pride is a disposition to exalt myself, to get above others, to hide my defects, and to pass for more than I am. Now we're right at the right place to preach this message tonight in the series of how God has been leading.

By the way, you say, what are you going to preach tomorrow night? It's going to be an adventure. I don't know. I really don't know. We're at a turning point after this message tonight. I don't know where God's going to lead us.

Maybe I won't. Maybe Ralph will. Maybe God's going to have a totally different meeting. Come to enjoy the adventure with God. Amen? See how God's going to lead tomorrow night. Pray for me. I'm really shaking my boots.

I'm asking you to pray for me. The Lord give me his direct mind as to what he wants for tomorrow night as we come off of this message tonight. But oh, my brothers and sisters, this problem of pride, to pass for more than what we are.

Why is it tonight? Because we've heard two nights about the character of God and who he is. And we've seen how we failed and how little we are in the light of who he is. And in the light of the kind of messages that we've preached in the past two nights, I don't know who's left unscathed or who has missed hearing God speak to us like that.

And yet some of us will go right on, will not admit to our needs, will not bow before God, will not face the issues of that which we heard, even in the character of God and our failure to fear him and walk before him, represented by so many aspects of our lifestyle.

What's going to get me to the place where God can get through to me? Where things can happen, where I can really face this issue squarely? I believe we're right to it tonight. God needs to deal with the essence, the problem of pride, and then we'll pray because the proud man has no need to pray.

Then when you start praying, then you're going to seek his face. You see his face. Then he's going to show you simply the wicked ways of your life, and it's easy to turn from them because you've humbled yourself before him.

What a progression in this tremendous verse. Though God has said pride is believing that we have accomplished what in reality God and others have done in and for us. It's believing that we have done what in reality God and others have done in us and for us.

Pride, Gratitude, and Proper Self-Esteem

Now, my brothers and sisters, we should not be proud. That's the message of the night. We should not be proud, but we ought to be grateful. That's a different story. Pride and gratitude can't live in the same heart.

We ought to be grateful. What do I mean by that? Listen, God doesn't want us to look disparagingly on the gifts he's given us. Let's get it in perspective. He wants us to have a proper self-esteem. He doesn't want you to always be looking down on yourself.

We're not talking about that kind of wrong self-esteem or low self-esteem. God wants you to have a proper self-esteem. He wants you to acknowledge the gifts that he's given you. But a proud spirit says, I have done it, and I have accomplished it in my abilities.

But the spirit of gratitude says, all good gifts come from the Father above. I take them from him, and he's given them, and I have the spirit of gratitude for whatever gifts that I can even recognize that God has bestowed upon me.

It's in the attitude. It's in the spirit. The Bible says that we ought not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think, but to think soberly. And that's the sober thinking, that all that I have came from him.

And acknowledging that we have nothing that we have of our own, but it is to us and given to us by the grace of God. It means that I occupy that station that becomes me as a creature before a creator, as a sinner before a Savior God, as children before a Heavenly Father, that anything I have, I'm just a creature.

It came from a creator. I'm a sinner before a Savior God. Thank the Lord I am a child of Heavenly Father. That's the proper perspective. Do you ever want to see the beautiful perspective of proper self-esteem put together in two verses?

It's in 1 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 7 and 2 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 7. 1 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 7 and 2 Corinthians chapter 4. And here it is. It's the context of all that I have came from God and that I am nothing but an earthen vessel and I hold within me a treasure that the excellency may be of the power of God and not of us and not of myself.

Since the acknowledgement of what I am in 1 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 7, I'm something in the sight of God that the excellency, that the powers of God, my sufficiencies of God. And in 2 Corinthians I am only a vessel holding a treasure.

And I want the excellency to be all of God and not of me. Well, that's the proper self-esteem. And Ralph has a beautiful message on tape on who I, who am I and Dick Sipley. And you can hear many messages on that.

Well, let's get to the heart. And so I won't charge you for that because that wasn't really planned in the sermon tonight. But I just thought you'd like to have that as a balance because what's wrong with pride?

Oh, it's gratitude we need, not a spirit of pride, it's a spirit of gratitude to God for what he's done for us. Now, why did God, before he asked us to pray in 2 Chronicles 7 .14, say you need to humble yourself or deal with your pride?

Pride as a Universal and Deceptive Sin

Could I give you reasons? One, could it be because God has described in my Bible and in yours over 21 of the most despicable statements that God has made about anything in all of the Bible when he talks about pride.

Now that's a 21 point sermon and I'm not going to preach it, but I'm suggesting to you maybe God put deal with your pride before you even pray, because I don't know anything in the Bible that God speaks with more despicable language about his attitude toward the sin of pride.

Now that's point one. Point two, and I'd love to take time, but I dare not, I want to move right along tonight. Point two, maybe God put it up in front before he even asked us to pray, because this pride business seems to be so natural for all of us that it seems to be the universal area of defeat.

So God knows it's a universal area of defeat, so he puts it right out there in front so none of us can miss it. Well, I wonder if it relates to Hebrews chapter 12, verse one, where it says, laying aside every weight and the sin, which doth so easily beset us.

Does anybody know of one that so easily besets us more than pride? Maybe that's it. Listen to this in Job chapter 41, verse 33 and 34, upon earth, there is not like Satan. There is none like Satan, who is made without fear.

He beholdeth all high things. Talking about Satan. Now this is Satan. He is a king. We know that, don't we? Who is he a king over? He is a king over all the children of the world. Listen to this. He is a king over all the children of pride.

You ever know that was in the Bible? Satan is a king over all the children of pride. No wonder it's a universal problem. We come by it legitimately, don't we? Somebody said some people just grow up, but most of us puff up.

In Indiana, in a newspaper in a little town, it said a college education now costs $25 ,000, but it produces three very, very proud people. The student, his mama, and his pauper. There's one vitamin we all have too much of, and it's vitamin I.

Of all the enemies, it is pride which dies the slowest and is the hardest to die. Even the children of the world are able to discern this. Madame de Steele sat on her deathbed. She said, do you know what's the last to die in man?

It's the love of self. Don Mane cries in Houghton Lake, Michigan. I think he was six feet, six inches tall, and he owned a Volkswagen. And he said one night, he said, I bumped my head again this morning while getting into my car.

And he said, come to think about it, most of the bumps in my life came when I forgot to lower my head. Do we get it? Oh, so natural to all of us. A man in Bay City, Michigan, said, he got up, it was the last night of the meeting, I still remember him, got up to give his testimony.

He said, no one else has any pride in this church. I thought to myself, isn't that interesting? What puts him in such an exclusive society? And he went on to say, he said, I have it all, so there's none left for any of you.

You know, it's funny, somehow we can have it all, but there seems to be enough left for the rest of them. It's a universal problem. Maybe that's why God put it out in front. Thirdly, maybe God put it out there even before he asked us to pray, because he's afraid, he fears, and we might not even think we have any pride.

We might not even think we have any. You know why? Because of its deceptive nature. You know pride's so deceptive. Jeremiah 49, 16 says, thy terribleness hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart.

Now that would have been bad enough, but God says, I'm afraid you didn't hear it in Jeremiah, so he said, I want to say it again in Obadiah. So he said in Obadiah 1, 3, the pride of thine heart hath deceived thee.

I'm suggesting to you what Bob Leland said in Michigan. It's unbelievable, so many years, 30 years, just because I was so proud and I didn't think I was. He's saying, so many years I struggled in defeat, and I didn't even think I was proud.

A man said, it's an unfortunate thing about it, I had pride in my heart and I didn't know I had it. Dr. DeHaan said, even as Christians we should be aware of the deceptive nature of our own hearts. Let us allow the Holy Spirit to correct our vision, to recognize our proud spirit.

Pride is woven into every warp and woof of the heart of man, and only the Spirit of God can expose it. It is the most difficult to diagnose and deal with, it's perhaps the gravest enemy to revival. The gravest of all sins is the failure to see my own sinfulness, the sinfulness of my own heart.

And because of the deception of pride, we might not even think we have any of the sin of the pride. Well, on television there was a quiz program, and they asked the question, which word is used most in our daily talk?

And they had six words, one, two, three, four, five, six. Six words. Which one? I, but, the, and, yes, and no. If you're two years old, it's no. Right? But what about the rest of us? You know what they found?

Those on the panel picked every word. I was picked fifth, and there was only one left, but was the sixth one. Maybe they picked the sixth one because somebody said you can always tell, people always say but, you can always tell a goat by the way it buts.

But, you know, we always have a but, instead of taking God's truth, but we talk back to God. And that's the kick in the spirit, isn't it? Well, let it be as it may. But I was number five, and that's what they picked.

But you know what? It actually was number one. It's the word used mostly in every one of our vocabularies. Well that's the third point. This is about an eight-point sermon, aren't you glad I'm already at point four?

Pride Must Be Named as Sin

But hang on, it's coming. Point four. Because God fears, not only that we might think we don't have any, but God might fear that we might not recognize it for what it really is, because of its deceptive nature.

Not only because of the deceptive nature we might not think we have any, but secondly, because of its deceptive nature, He might fear that we might not even recognize Christ for what it really is, because of its deceptive nature.

Now, what do I mean by that? God has a different measuring stick and measuring rod than we have for a lot of things and here's one of them if I can ask You the question how many things in the Bible? Do you find the words like this blank fill in a blank is Sin blank is Sin three words or maybe two words or whatever here describing the item is Sin, how many can you find in all of your Bible?

I'd ask you the Bible talk about this is all a sin. Yeah, lots of sin in the Bible. It's about I'm not asking that I'm asking you. How many times do you find in your Bible? The actual words is sin. Blank is sin.

How many times you find it? Can anybody give me any tonight? Quickly, what the thought of foolishness is sin. There's one another. All are righteous is sin. There's two. What? Lawlessness is sin and Maybe it is unbelief is sin.

Quite whatsoever is not a faith is sin same thing. All right, we have about four or five anybody else either that no do good doeth not is sin. That's six. At all, don't you folks read your Bible? Oh so much of sin in the Bible.

There's what I'm really saying to you. There are very few things in the Bible that God says is sin. Why? Bible talks about a lot of things that we know are sins. Why does the Bible name so few? Could it be that God is afraid that we might not recognize those things specifically.

Because they might have a deception in them a deceptive nature to them and we might not recognize them for what they really are Sin and God has to put them in an exclusive society and say I want to name it.

Clearly, so there's no missing it. Psalm 21 verse 4 a high look and the proud heart and the plowing of the wicked. What is What. Oh? Personality trait. That's the way I was made after all. I'm a chip off the old block.

They tell me my dad. Well, I had the same kind of personality and they even say his dad had it and what do you expect? I have that same personality trait. Right. Listen to this Isaiah 46 12 hearken unto me ye stout-hearted.

What does that mean stout-hearted. I mean have a big fat heart. I don't think so I think it means a proud heart hearken unto me ye stout-hearted. What's the problem with the stout-hearted that are far from righteousness?

What's the thing whatever this stout heart is? It's a person who is far from righteousness. That means it's a sinful heart. Isn't that the saying the proud the high look and the proud heart is sin again God says in Habakkuk 2 for behold his soul, which is lifted up.

What's that a proud spirit, isn't it? His soul which is lifted up. How's God describe it is? Not up right in him the soul that is lifted up is not upright. That's a good one. Isn't it? The soul that is lifted up is not upright.

Amen. Get it. Let God say it to us. It's a sinful heart a Proud spirit. A man in Michigan said the Lord forgave my pride. Now, what does God forgive that sinned? That's what God forgives. So this man he was in the right ballpark, wasn't he?

The joy of the Lord is now a reality in my life. You see he was naming it God's name. But another young man got up in a testimony meeting he said I'm a proud full person. So I guess so I guess I'm a sinful person.

I Had to write that one down when I heard him say it. I thought to myself Oh how God needs to get through to us with one of the basic truths. That is this I'm a powerful person, but somehow we're not convinced that a powerful person is a sinful person.

We say so I guess maybe perhaps and Tonight God wants to show you and me that pride is Sin it's not a personality trait. It's not just the way you are. It is sin and aren't you glad I said it tonight because when I name it what God names it for the first time in your Life you realize that you sit in this meeting that you can now find an answer to something you thought you're gonna have to live with and go to your grave with a Proud spirit that was afflicting you.

When I say it's sin, you know, God has an answer for sin, but not personality traits. But he does something for sin. I would ask how many people realize that pride was a sin before I preach this message might be a shocking revelation.

How few people in this meeting would have identified pride actually named in the Bible as sin? And if it is such, you know what you need to do with sin. There's only one place to go with sin and that's back to the cross.

Pride as the Essence of Sin

Well now I want to go on further. That's four or five. I think where I say four or five, whatever. Pride is not only sin. Maybe God puts it out in front because he wants us to know that it is more than just sin.

He wants us to know that it is more than just sin. You say how can be more than just sin? Here's why it is the very essence of Sin, not just a nice little sin in the bag of a bunch others. I want to show you that it's the very essence of Sin.

I want you to turn now to Psalm 9 and I want to look at this is tremendous how it unfolds. Psalm 9 pride is the very essence of sin. Maybe this is the reason why God puts it out there before we could even pray Psalm 9 verse 17.

Lord thou has heard the desire of the humble thou prepare their heart. Thou will excuse me, that's. I'm reading Psalm 10. That's a good one, too, isn't it? Psalm 9 verse 17 the wicked shall be turned into.

What hell and all the nations except the United States that forget God? Now we've learned two things the wicked are going to hell and nations that forget God are going to hell now. We don't know why the wicked are going to hell according to that verse just as we could have going to be turning to hell.

But we know why the nations are going to be turning to hell because it says the nations that do what? Forget God remember that important statement. Now, let's see if we can find out a little more about the wicked a little more about the nations.

Yeah, let's go to verse 20 put them in fear. Oh Lord. Huh? See we're back to the fear of God. We talked about last night put them in fear. Oh Lord that the nation's may know what is their problem? No themselves.

To be but men. Does it sound familiar to last tonight's sermons God. The psalmist says Lord put the nation's in fear that they may know themselves. To be but men. Why were the nation's going to be cast in hell because they were forgetting God.

Put them in fear. Oh God. So it's a thinking process about God. It's leaving God out of their life and out of their plans. Put them in fear. Because they built themselves up to be God and put them in fear let them know they are but men.

Pull them down off of that highest that high pedestal. They're on that deifying of man and bring them back down and let them put God back up on the throne. Now that's the problem of the nation's. Now what's the problem of the wicked?

Why does God put the wicked? We're going to be cast into hell and nations that forget God in the same verse. Is there something of that there's a correlation between the sins of both of them. Look at it in the next chapter next psalm verse 3 verse 2 for the wicked.

What's his problem in his pride? Doth persecute the poor. Let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined for the wicked boasts of his heart's desire. And there's the proud spirit and blessed the covetous whom the Lord of Horus.

He doesn't have time for God. He wants to go anti God the wicked. What is the wicked's problem? We're finding out the wicked through the pride of his countenance. What happens when he's proud will not seek after God.

Wasn't that the same problem the nation's had. Will not seek after God. God is not in all his thoughts. So what is the essence of wickedness? It's a proud spirit. That doesn't need God. It's a proud spirit.

The basic principle of sin is refusal to act dependent on God. That's the essence of wickedness the end of a wicked and the essence of Nations that forget God therefore that sin. The very heart of it or that God would show it to us.

Isn't that what it was in Romans chapter 1 the other night when we described it? They brought God down and they didn't want to retain God at all in their knowledge. God's gonna pull down the curtain on a sinful society now.

It says in Isaiah believe among my people are wicked men. What does it mean? It could be our thinking about God the proud spirit that doesn't need him. Isaiah 65 to. I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people.

What was their problem which walk in a way that was not good? What kind of a way was it after their own thoughts? Isn't that the problem? The wicked is that the problem. Nations that forget God they walk in the ways of their own thoughts.

It's the essence of sin. Proud spirit is a spirit that acts independently of God and does not need to depend on God. The essence of a proud spirit is this the Lord hath made all things for himself. Everyone that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord.

Dr. Graham was asked the question my I am a Christian. But I have a real problem with pride in my life. Welcome to the club. I Know this is wrong, but how can I fight it? Dr. Graham pride is a serious sin.

In fact, it is at the root of Almost every sin. I Didn't tell dr. Graham to write that for my sermon. That was in the newspaper. Tim LaHaye said pride is the greatest enemy that a man must face. We're talking about the heart of the issue.

And I'm asking you a simple question it. God put pride out there even before he asked us to pray. Because pride is not only seen it is the essence of sin. Well, if that be the case my brothers and sisters Verse says in Psalm 18 21 for I have kept the ways of the Lord and have not wickedly.

What is wickedly? I have not wickedly departed from my God. That was the essence of wickedness. Departing from my God no need of him a proud spirit that doesn't need him. We've learned it if the pride if pride is the essence of sin.

Therefore we know why God had to put it then before he asked us to pray. Don't we surely because of its relationship to prayer if pride is the essence of sin. My Bible says if I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not see hear me.

So therefore I can't even pray what good is my praying if I'm filled with pride. And pride is the very essence of sin. Wonder he said behold the Lord's hand is not shortened that he cannot save nor is he or heavy that he cannot hear.