PRAYER AGAINST SELF- CENTEREDNESS
Bible Reading: 2 Kings 20:16-21
“16 And Isaiah said unto Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD.
17 Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store unto this day, shall be carried into Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the LORD.
18 And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.
19 Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah, Good is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken. And he said, Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my days?
20 And the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all his might, and how he made a pool, and a conduit, and brought water into the city, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Judah?
21 And Hezekiah slept with his fathers: and Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.”
The most needful prayer for everyone is the prayer against self-centeredness or self-interest. Selfishness or self-interest or self-centeredness is an action that killing several people and at the same time destruction many homes and organisation in which the church of God is included.
According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, self-centeredness is described as being too interested in oneself and not caring about the needs, or feelings of other people. You will agree with me that one of the problems killing our society today is self-interest – having no caring about the needs of others. A situation where a person will dominate everything that belongs to millions of people, and having no concern or feeling of the people he rules over. Many homes are collapsing and decaying because the husband or wife is only concern about his or her personal life. Taking care of the house is nothing to him or her. Many wives are only concern about fashion and worldliness, taking care of their home and children is off in their agenda.
In our today’s Bible reading, King Hezekiah showed and proved himself as a self-centred person who does not care about his children and the generation to comes. A leader who doesn’t care about the destruction of life and properties. He was almost totally self-centred. All he cared about was his own personal comfort, protection, and success. His response to the judgment of God is evidence that he does not care about his own misdemeanour and the coming generation.
God had announced the coming judgement. Surprisingly, all Hezekiah could respond with was relief that it would not happen in his lifetime.
“Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah, Good is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoke. And he said, Is it not good if peace and truth be in my days?” 2 Kings 20:19
Prophet Isaiah had just prophesied that after Hezekiah would be gone, his sons would be captured and mutilated, and the kingdom destroyed. Instead of repenting and begging God again to save his people, he did nothing. This is a perfect picture of very selfish parents and leaders.
Are you not in the same category as Hezekiah who only after his own selfish gain? The position you are seeking for is not for your selfishness? How do you manage the possession you have?
Beloved, the response of King Hezekiah challenges us to think about how our actions affect the upcoming generations, rather than thinking only of our own lifetime. According to the Bible, Hezekiah was saying that it was good that these terrible events foretold by Isaiah would not happen during his lifetime. This means, he is happy that it would not happen during his time but it is good to happen during his childhood times. What a selfish king indeed! Hezekiah statement is not only seeming selfish, but it is a short-sighted, proud, unrepentant and escapist statement.
Many servants of God in this generation are running the church of God as personal properties, only ensuring self-success. Always planning and asking for personal success as an individual or merely material success as a corporation. Progress or success of their members or people around them is nothing to them.
Beloved, kindly check your heart in relation to your posterity. Can God give you a pass mark? The present predicament facing you now is a result of your selfishness and neglect of others. Change now before it is too late!
“…Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” Acts 2:38-39
Prayer Against Self- Centeredness
- My Father and my Lord, I confess my sins unto you today, have mercy on me and cleanse me in the name of Jesus.
- Every seed of self-centeredness in my life, be uprooted by fire, in the name of Jesus.
- Holy Spirit’s fire, consume the spirit of self-centeredness in me, in the mighty name of Jesus.
- Every chain of selfishness in my life, be broken the fire of the Holy Ghost, in the name of Jesus.
- Every activity of selfishness in my life, die in the name of Jesus.
- Father, every seed of self-centeredness in my children be uprooted by fire, in the name of Jesus.
- Lord Jesus, give me the grace to always look not only to my own interests but also to the interests of others in the name of Jesus.
- Every giant of selfishness in my marriage, die by thunder, in the name of Jesus.
- Father, delivered me from the grip of witchcraft in the name of Jesus.
- Every force behind my selfish attitude, I commanded it to die now, in the name of Jesus.
- Any inherited covenant of self-centeredness in my life, be terminated by the blood of Jesus.
- Father, planted into my heart the love towards others in the name of Jesus.
- Any action of selfishness in the life of our leaders, be uprooted by fire, in the name of Jesus.
- Every yoke of selfishness in my life, be broken in the name of Jesus.
- Father, create in me the heart of righteousness and faithfulness in the name of Jesus.
- Every satanic protocol against living holiness in my family, be scattered by fire in the name of Jesus.
- Father, help our leaders to be more concerned with the needs of their citizens, in the name of Jesus.
- Father, help our parents to be more concerned with the needs of their children, in the name of Jesus.
- Every spirit of corruption and self-centred, die, in the name of Jesus.
- Every spirit of worldliness and selfishness, die, in the name of Jesus.
- Father, help our churches to be more concerned with what becomes of the Faith in the hands of their children after this generation must have gone in the name of Jesus.