O Christian, thou hast need to pray this prayer. But I…
““O Christian, thou hast need to pray this prayer. But I think I hear you saying, "Is thy servant a dog, that I should do this thing?" So said Hazael, when the prophet told him that he would slay his master; but he went home and took a wet cloth and spread it over his master's face and choked him, and did the next day the sin which he abhorred before. Think it not enough to abhor sin, you may yet fall into it. Say not, "I never can be drunken, for I have such an abhorrence of drunkenness;" thou mayest fall where thou art most secure. Say not, "I can never blaspheme God, for I have never done so in my life;" take care; you may yet swear most profanely. Job might have said, "I will never curse the day of my birth;" but he lived to do it. He was a patient man; he might have said, "I will never murmur; though he slay me, yet will I trust in him;" and yet he lived to wish that the day were darkness wherein he was brought forth. Boast not, then, O Christian; by faith thou standest. "Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." But if this need to be the prayer of the best, how ought it to be the prayer of you and me? If the highest saint must pray it, O mere moralist, thou hast good need to utter it. And ye who have begun to sin, who make no pretensions to piety, how much need is there for you to pray that you may be kept from presumptuously rebelling against God.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The passage warns that self‑righteousness and overconfidence in one's moral standing can blind believers to their own susceptibility to sin, urging humility and vigilance in prayer.
In simple terms: Even the most devout can fall; stay humble and pray for protection.
Guard against complacency; pray for humility.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- personal confession
- daily devotion
- spiritual counseling
- teaching sermons
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you check your own self‑righteousness?
- What practices keep you humble?
Overemphasis on fear may lead to anxiety rather than genuine transformation.