Why Pride Gets in the Way of Prayer

The disciples were sleeping when they should have been praying. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus told the disciples to pray. Meanwhile, the Bible tells us, “He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, ‘Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done’” (Luke 22:41–42 NKJV).

Luke tells us that at this point, “an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (verses 43–44 NKJV).

Then Jesus stood up and walked over to His disciples where they were sound asleep.

Not praying when we need to can actually be a sin. It’s the sin of omission. A sin of omission is not doing what you should do, while a sin of commission is doing what you should not do. The Bible says, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin” (James 4:17 NKJV).

And neglecting to pray is a direct result of the sin of self-confidence. And instead of praying, we usually worry (as though that will help).

Yet Philippians tells us, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (4:6 NKJV).

So, we don’t say, “I can handle this, God,” or “I’ll fix that, Lord.” Instead, we need to pray about it. We need to say, “Lord, I need your help right now. I’m at the point where I’m tired of trusting in myself, and I’m calling out to you, Lord.”

Call out to God in prayer today.