Pride

I am prone to mope around and think that nothing good ever happens in my life. I guess this is my way of saying "this isn't good enough" or my way of saying "I am not content". I think a sense of entitlement or lack of contentment stem from my pride sprouting up. My pride says "I deserve more/better than this." It is hard to keep pride in check and go against my natural nature sometimes. To live by the spirit is not as easy as living by the flesh. In any case I did a topical search for some verses on the topic of pride. After reading these I will pray and ask that I will not have a sense of entitlement or be a prideful spoiled brat any longer. There's no excuse for my sinful behavior/thought life.

Pride

Obadiah 1:3
"The arrogance of your heart has deceived you,
You who live in the clefts of the rock,
In the loftiness of your dwelling place,
Who say in your heart,
'Who will bring me down to earth?'

Proverbs 29:23
"A man's pride will bring him low,
But a humble spirit will obtain honor."

Mark 7:21-23
"For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man."

Proverbs 8:13
"The fear of the LORD is to hate evil;
Pride and arrogance and the evil way
And the perverted mouth, I hate.

1 John 2:15-16
"Do not love the world nor the things in the world If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world."

1 Peter 1:5-6
"You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives graces to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time."

The battle against pride can be a daily battle. Pride really is a deep rooted sin. When I tell a lie usually it is to make myself look better (pride) or to cover up something that I don't want others to know about (pride). When I think someone is stupid or ignorant it really is a prideful way of saying "I am better than you". Can we still be spiritually effecive if we are prideful and do not realized how desperate we are to have Jesus in our lives? I do not think that we can be effective if we are filled with pride. Pride says "I am smart", "nothing bad should happen to me", “I really am great”, or “look what I am doing.” The vileness of pride can only be battled through prayer and the study of the Word of God. I once read this puritan prayer and it convicted me. I hope that it is helpful for you too as you, like me, battle pride.

Puritan Prayer
Holy Lord, I have sinned times without number, and been guilty of pride and unbelief, of failure to find Thy mind in Thy Word, of neglect to seek Thee in my daily life. My transgressions and short-comingspresent me with a list of accusations, but I bless Thee that they will not stand against me, for all have been laid on Christ.Go on to subdue my corruptions, and grant me grace to live above them. Let not the passions of the flesh nor lustings of the mindbring my spirit into subjection, but do Thou rule over me in liberty and power.

I thank Thee that many of my prayers have been refused. I have asked amiss and do not have, I have prayed from lusts and been rejected, I have longed for Egypt and been given a wilderness. Go on with Thy patient work, answering ‘no’ to my wrongful prayers, and fitting me to accept it. Purge me from every false desire, every base aspiration, everything contrary to Thy rule. I thank Thee for Thy wisdom and Thy love, for all the acts of discipline to which I am subject, for sometimes putting me into the furnaceto refine my gold and remove my dross.

No trial is so hard to bear as a sense of sin. If Thou shouldst give me choice to live in pleasureand keep my sins, or to have them burnt away with trial,give me sanctified affliction. Deliver me from every evil habit, every accretion of former sins, everything that dims the brightness of Thy grace in me, everything that prevents me taking delight in Thee. Then I shall bless Thee, God of Jeshurun, for helping me to be upright.