A Noble Prayer
Proverbs 30:7-9
God has provided a wonderful avenue for the sinful man to reach Him in prayer. Unfortunately, too many prayers are like “shopping lists.” We go to God with a very clear understanding of what we want Him to do for us.
I. The Petition (7)
Two things I ask of you, O Lord; do not refuse me before I die… (Proverbs 30:7, NIV)
The prayer is very important to this person. He looks like he is praying, “my last will before I die is…”
This is the desire of life and this is what I want to be the major achievement of my life.
II. Make me a Person of Integrity (8a)
Keep falsehood and lies far from me… (Proverbs 30:8a, NIV)
He wants to be a person of integrity. No lies and deceit it his mouth.
Ephesians 4:25
A Christian friend and high executive of “Safeway” use to say to the people under him: “You and I can solve any problem as long as we tell the truth to each other. If I find you to lie to me then it is over, because I cannot trust you with any thing.”
III. Make me a Person of Fulfilled Needs not Wants (8b-9)
…give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God. (Proverbs 30:8b-9, NIV)
Money is one of the major temptations in life. The apostle Paul said <
Contentment is one thing we are to get used to. We will never have enough. We will always want more. The first principle that I was taught in economics (I have degree in Economics) was that of “INSUFFIENCY.” Basically it says that we will never have enough and we will always desire more.
Jesus and Paul warned against it:
Matthew 6:19-34
1 Timothy 6:6-10
We need to learn contentment. I am not suggesting that getting rich is wrong, because “it is God who gives you the power to become rich” (Deut 8:14), but to avoid the temptations of materialism.
Conclusion
This noble prayer needs to become the prayer of every Child of God. Why not pray it now?
