Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”

Proverbs 29:23 “A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.”

Proverbs 8:13 “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.”

Luke 16:15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.”

One of the regular, faithful members of the prayer meetings at Fulton Street made the following observation:

“We are in danger of spiritual pride, because so many eyes are turned to the Fulton Street Prayer Meeting, and because so many requests for prayer come to us from all parts of the land.  I know that many feel troubled because they come; some, because they occupy too much of the attention of this meeting; others, because they fear that the impression will be created that this is the Prayer Meeting above all others, where God hears and answers prayers.  Now both these evils are to be guarded against.”

The success of the Fulton Street Prayer Meetings may have been in part because of their vigilant sensitivity to the trappings of pride.  While God was working in miraculous ways, this group of believers was bombarded with attention, flooded with requests, and esteemed among men.  In order to protect themselves and the Lord’s continued workings through them, they strove to avoid being elevated, insulated, or isolated. 

They knew that pride goeth before destruction.  They realized that pride could bring them low, but humility could yield honor.  They embraced the truth that the fear of the Lord is to hate evil.  They acknowledged that esteem among men can be an abomination to God. 

Believers today must be vigilantly sensitive to the trappings of pride.  Whenever God works in miraculous ways in our lives, our ministries, our families, or our communities, we must strive to avoid being elevated, insulated, or isolated. 

PLEASE PRAY FOR AMERICAN CHRISTIANS TO VIGILANTLY PROTECT OURSELVES AND THE LORD’S WORKING THROUGH US.  We are in persistent danger of spiritual pride; and elevation, insulation, and isolation are evils to constantly guard against.

ADMIN:  The quote above comes from the Talbot Chambers book “The New York City Noon Prayer Meeting: A Simple Gathering That Changed The World”.