Pride Kills – Prayer Heals

Wisdom comes from God – spending time with Him receiving from Him is the only way you get wisdom. James 3:13–18 (NIV)
• When I spend time with Jesus I have the ability to know the truth –gain direction –know what is right and wrong.

Notice – a key characteristic of wisdom – and the focus this week – Humility
• Pride is the opposite of humility
• Pride refers to an unwarranted attitude of confidence. While pride can have a positive connotation of self-worth, it is often used in Scripture to refer to an unhealthy elevated view of one’s self, abilities, or possessions.
• Pride is abhorrent in Gods sight

1 Peter 5:5 (NIV)

Daniel chose to know and do what God commanded in scripture
• I will not defile myself – knew and obeyed scripture
• Daniel did not always get a dream from the Lord –He had to trust scripture too
Daniel 9:2 (NIV) — 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years.

2 Timothy 3:14-17 (NIV) – Daniel 2:27–28 (NIV)

Daniel prayed constantly
• Thanking and asking for help is an act of humility

Daniel 6:10–11 (NIV)

Daniel included himself in his confession before God – Daniel 9:4–5 (NIV)

• When you spend time with God you are humbled –
• This leads to I have sinned rather than they have sinned
Daniels shows humility in how he dealt with people

Daniel asked rather than demanded –He listened and understood – Daniel 1:8–11 (NIV) Daniel served the King faithfully – Daniel 6:4 (NIV) Even when Daniel had to resist –He resisted humbly
• He went to his private room and prayed
• His response to the King – honored him humbly
Daniel 6:21–23 (NIV)

Daniel and His friends had to live in the balance of submission and humble resistance –they needed wisdom and perseverance to be able to make those decisions. There are hints in this chapter that tell us how he was able to do this well:
• He was abiding – relying on scripture –obeying
• Praying continually –three times a day
• Setting his mind on Jerusalem – what that represented –the spiritual battle that was being fought –the bigger picture
• Remembering Gods faithfulness and promises
John 15:5 (NIV) – Daniel 2:44–45 (NIV)

So, we fight the right fight the right way, this takes wisdom. I will be wise about when I humble myself and submit and when I humbly resist -knowing the word.
• What is essential and what is not
• What is preferential and what is not
• What is me not liking to be told what to do
Resisting humbly –the right fight, the right way
• Checking my motives
• Not allowing fear and anger to push me to react
James 1:19–20 (NIV) – 1 Peter 3:14–17 (NIV)

What’s next for you? Have you humbled yourself before God?
• Pride kills your relationship with God
• Pride kills your ability to be used by God in a positive sense
• It takes you out of the battle or puts you on the opposite side of God.
• Pride kills your relationship with others
Daniels mind was set on the bigger battle and humility led to two pagan Kings actually preaching the truth of who God was to the world.

QUESTIONS TO REFLECT AND DISCUSS:
Passages to consider: Daniel 6 & 9; Proverbs 11:2& 29:23; James 3:13-18
Ice Breaker: What is a part of your daily routine that would be a ‘killer’ to lose?
1. Read Daniel 6:1-14. What do you see Daniel doing in this passage? Look at as many different aspects as you can. (After you discuss this, you can finish reading Daniel 6)
2. Describe Daniel’s prayer life. What do you notice? A) How might that impact wisdom and humility in Daniel’s life?
3. What is hard about prayer? What is rewarding? A) What helps you pursue prayerfulness?
4. Read Proverbs 11:2 & 29:23. How do you recognize pride and humility in yourself? A) What can be a struggle between pride and humility for you? B) Have you ever considered letting a close friend (or spouse) speak into this area?
5. What are you discovering about Daniel, wisdom, determination, perseverance, and humility in this series? A) How is what you are discovering impacting your relationships and how you respond to the world we live in at this time?
6. Bonus: Read Daniel 9 – what do you learn from Daniel’s prayer? What could you adopt from it for your own prayer life?