One of the ways the enemy derails prayer ministries and intercessors is spiritual pride.
Spiritual pride is when we become religious and haughty about our spiritual practices and disciplines. I know from experience that this is especially tempting when you’re leading prayer meetings and have many people stop coming while you continue to show up.
But when we begin to become judgmental, bitter and cynical about those that we think are not praying/fasting/whatever enough, then we’ve moved away from the heart of God and become religious. At that point, the enemy has deceived us into spiritual pride. Prayer shifts from love, humility and intimacy with God and it becomes about our own self righteousness.
I’m speaking boldly on this because I’ve done it myself countless times.
The thing is… God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. Proud prayers don’t work. Proud intercessors are ineffective.
Jesus in his wisdom knew that this would be a temptation. Right after He teaches about the importance of persistence in prayer (Luke 18:1-8), he begins to address the issue of spiritual pride.
“The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Luke 18:11-14
Prayer is about relationships with Jesus. Yes, its’ a joy when others join with us, and as we should encourage each other to pray more. But as leaders and intercessors we have to check our hearts. Are we putting religious pressure on people? Are we legalistically putting our personal convictions on others? And condemning them if they do something different? Or are we humbly inviting one another into deeper intimacy with God through prayer? Is our motivation love for God and others? Or making ourselves feel important, impactful or spiritual?
Let’s not be the Pharisee but the tax collector. “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”