It’s so humbling when a child sees a situation for what it is – and we miss it. I think of the time one of my boys saw someone with clearer vision than I. I had let pride keep me from seeing the goodness in her while my son saw her though childlike eyes. He saw her heart.
And I was humbled.
It’s easy to think, as adults with life experience and education, that we know more than those of younger years or lesser knowledge. But often our eyes are veiled, tainted with bitterness or resentment, shame or regret, pride or assumption. And when we fail to see as Jesus does, our beliefs get sourced by our weaknesses, and blindness sets in…
Like Pharaoh. He didn’t “know this God” so, in his mind, “this God” couldn’t matter to him (Exodus 5:2). He believed that he knew more, that he knew best. Ten plagues later, he knew differently. At least for a little while. Then he drowned along with all the chariots and horses he had put his faith in.
Like King Solomon. He allowed the pride of believing he knew more than God to lead him into marriages with many wives, including women of different religions, which ushered pagan gods into the palace and land (1 Kings 11:1-3). The ‘wise’ king chose poorly.
Like the Pharisees and Sadducees of Jesus’ day. These keepers of the Law lived lavishly, pridefully holding onto assumptions about themselves and Messiah because they believed they knew Scripture best (Matthew 23). And their desire to keep the power they held blinded them to the moment they’d been watching and waiting for their entire lives.
Like us. We think we know what’s best while, at the same time, fearing our truest selves won’t measure up.1 We let shame or fear or pride propel us behind walls of the False Self so that the person we project looks cleaner and holier than the parts that can’t be seen. We choose to stand on what the world values – wealth, education, power, status, platforms, titles, possessions, etc – in order to feel better about ourselves or to convince others that we’re better or stronger…or right.
To the point of our own destruction.
Sometimes the Bible calls this way of being ‘hard-hearted’ or ‘stiff-necked’. Other times the labels are more subtle and might even sound good to our twenty-first century ears: wise and learned (Matthew 11:25). But all of them imply we’ve become too big for our britches. We think we know best all the while missing what God is actually doing.
This is the context for the second Jesus Prayer, what JD Walt calls “The Prayer of Great Reversal.” In this chapter, John the Baptist asks Jesus the question everyone is wondering, “Are you the Messiah?” (Matthew 11:3, my paraphrase). And Jesus’ response is to list all that He’d been doing – healing, delivering, and raising the dead (vv.4-5) – as evidence that He is indeed Messiah.
Jesus then goes on to explain that John the Baptist is great among people, but greatness isn’t what God’s Kingdom is about. In fact, so much of what the Kingdom of God holds in high value is opposite of what’s important here on earth (v.11), which is why Jesus then describes the people in towns like Capernaum with such vehemence. They had witnessed all the miracles of Jesus yet failed to believe Him as Messiah – all because He didn’t fit the part they’d created for Him (Matthew 11:20-24). They thought they knew what Messiah would look like and be about – and Jesus wasn’t it. For all their prideful assurances, these “sophisticates and know-it-alls,” as Eugene Peterson calls them, missed Messiah (v.25 MSG).
The same fate is ours when we live from self instead of Spirit.
- We’ll fail to know our Father’s will when we let our personal beliefs close our minds and our spiritual ears.
- We’ll miss seeing Jesus when we go about life putting Him and other people in our little boxes.
- We won’t hear the words the Spirit speaks over us when we move through our days full of assumptions – and half asleep.
The Prayer of Great Reversal
It is into these realities – Jesus showing Himself as Messiah and people missing it – that He prays this prayer:
“O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way!”
Matthew 11:25-26 NLT
Jesus knows that what He teaches, all that He is bringing into the world, is turning things upside down. Which is why He shows up with such Holy Spirit power, demonstrating His messianic-ness with signs and wonders that no one has ever witnessed. It’s why He prays to God about the truth of His Kingdom – how its righteousness and goodness reign far above what the world and even the Jewish culture of the day value. Jesus acknowledges that God knows best.
This is a reversal of epic proportions. And it’s a reversal at the deepest levels.
Reversal from Within
The simplicity of Jesus’ prayer might tempt us to move right past it, believing it was written to another people of another day. But, as we come to Jesus, asking Him to “teach us to pray,” this prayer becomes pivotal for us to make our own – to embody and embrace – because its words hold the power to “open up a way of reversal in our own spirits and innermost selves.”1
As we make this prayer part of our abiding rhythms, we’re able to acknowledge to the Father that what is wise in our eyes is not always His wisdom – that what we think we know isn’t always the full picture. And, these confessions do a deep work within us. This prayer opens us up and “creates the opportunity for a gracious defrocking of our false selves.”1 Because it’s a prayer of humility.
Despite its brevity, this prayer helps us do the inner work of reversing what the world, our flesh, and the enemy have told us is truth because it reminds us that we’re meant to come at faith with childlike wonder – not worldly treasures of wisdom and self-confidence. It demonstrates for us the grace God gives us so that we can be humble before Him1 – so that His will and Son and words will be revealed to us.
As humble recipients of God’s grace, we pray, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth [I openly and joyfully acknowledge Your great wisdom], that You have hidden these things [these spiritual truths] from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to infants [to new believers, to those seeking your will and purpose]. Yes, Father, for this way is well-pleasing in Your sight” (Matthew 11:25-26 AMP).
Anchored in such truths, our spiritual eyes will open. Our hearts will confess and our True Selves will emerge.
Friends, this is prayer at a whole other level than asking God for what we want. While there’s nothing wrong (in fact, it’s encouraged by Jesus numerous times) with making requests of God, it’s not the only facet of prayer. And with this particular Jesus Prayer in mind, it occurs to me how often we miss the mark when we ask God for what we want – because we’re asking from hearts that are blinded by fear and shame and pride.
As a result, we miss God’s will, His Son, and His words.
But with this prayer, we begin the work of becoming humble before our mighty, all-knowing, righteous God – so that our supplications then sound a lot more like Him than us.
I think this is what John the Apostle means when he says, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him” (1 John 5:14-15).
God is not a genie in a bottle, so He’s not going to grant our every wish. Instead, we’re meant to trust that He sees the big picture, that He’s the One who actually knows what’s best – even when it makes no sense to us. Even when what we ask for gets a big fat ‘no’ or ‘not yet’.
We don’t always know God’s will, but we pray anyway. In fact, Jesus says never give up praying, (Luke 18:1). But…but, sometimes we aren’t praying in God’s will at all. Instead, we’re taking our worries and saying them to God over and over and over as if they’re prayers.2 When all along, He desires that we get to know Him so we can trust Him.
And that’s why the Prayer of Great Reversal is so important – it brings us to the feet of our Father, humbles our hearts, and reminds us that His wisdom is what we’re to seek. With such a prayer in our arsenal, we can lay down our fears and join God in what He’s already doing!2
Jesus prays. And He longs to teach us to pray like Him. Humbly. Full of faith and trust in the Father. With hearts that are confident – not in ourselves but in Him. So anchored, we live by grace for Him.
Lord, teach us to pray.
Father God, our consciences have been pricked by the Holy Spirit’s nudge – that we walk this life with a sense of pride that causes us to believe we know best. We put our views, our needs, our assumptions above your wisdom, and we’re sorry. Lord Jesus, we join with You in praying these words You once spoke aloud to the crowds around You, desiring that humility will be worked into us just as pride is worked out of us. We thank You for the life of prayer You modeled for us and for all the ways You demonstrated how we are to live humble – like You. Holy Spirit, we need your constant reminding to immerse ourselves in this prayer of reversal so that we will be shaped from the inside out – so that we will look more and more like Jesus. We praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, we openly and joyfully acknowledge Your great wisdom that You have hidden these things – these spiritual truths – from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to infants – to new believers, to those seeking your will and purpose. Yes, Father, for this way is well-pleasing in Your sight. And we desire to live humbly before You, trusting in your will, wisdom, and way. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
(inspired by John 16:8; 1 John 1:9; Proverbs 11:2; Philippians 2:7-8; Matthew 11:25-26 AMP)
Resources: I love sharing with you the books, podcasts, articles, and anything else that has inspired, encouraged, or taught me. These are humble offerings with no expectations.
- 1 – JD Walt of Seedbed’s Wake Up Call did a short series on the nine prayers of Jesus that fueled my already growing desire to embrace prayer through Lent. I’ve quoted him a few times from the post he wrote about this Prayer of Great Reversal. Here’s the first of the series if you’re interested in starting at the beginning.
2 – A few years ago, JD Walt wrote a series that became a book about prayer, Right Here Right Now – and its ideas have been challenging and stretching me ever since. I especially think about him defining prayer as an invitation to join God in what He’s already doing. What a paradigm shift! - Our Lenten Spotify playlist, Embrace Prayer. creates some space for the Spirit to move within us — so that we might humble ourselves before the Lord, so that we trust His will, know His Son, and hear His words (Acts 22:14). Whether it’s a song that reminds us that we need to be on our knees, humble before our Lord (ie: “Find Me”) or a song that speaks the words we long to say, we can tune in our ears, as well as our hearts and minds, to our Father in heaven. Kari Jobe’s song, “Speak to Me,” actually gives room in the music for us to be silent and listen for God’s voice. It might feel awkward at first, but the more we give it a try, the better we get at laying down all our worries and wants — and listening for His voice!
- Well, I got it together and released my first “Teacup” video in months. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement. You can find all the videos on my Facebook Author Page, Instagram, and YouTube.
- Many of you have already found me on Substack! Thank you so much! If you haven’t subscribed to my Substack page yet, there’s still time before I announce the winner of the giveaway (see the Prayer Journal notation below) on Tuesday. While you’re on Substack, check out the ministry I’m blessed to be part of, the Devoted Collective.
AND…don’t forget if you’d rather listen to these weekly posts, you can now do so on Substack — there’s an easy to see and use the audio bar across the top of each post. - In addition to my weekly posts, I’m also putting my monthly newsletter, The Abiding Life, on Substack. (If you’re already getting my newsletters to your email, that will continue. As will the weekly posts on my website — nothing changes. I’ve just added Substack, in addition). If you’d like to subscribe for future newsletters, you can do so here!
Rhythms: As my newsletter’s title infers, we seek to develop an abiding life in this space — a place where we can get informed but also be transformed as we learn to abide in God’s presence throughout our days. I like to think that developing rhythms is one way to aid us in our desire to become more Christlike. This Lent, we’ve put our focus on the rhythm of prayer.
- Let’s pull out our Prayer Bibles and turn to Matthew 11:25-26 — highlight the passage and add your tab so that you can find it easily. Now we have TWO prayers we can turn to and pray straight out of the Bible! And, these prayers are the ones Jesus prayed — so good!
This week let’s practice this Prayer of Great Reversal. Let’s recall that the things that get hidden from the “wise and learned” are the spiritual truths about God — the very truths we long to know and live by. May this prayer help us check our pride at the door every day so that we approach our Father and the world around us with great humility. XOXO
Last chance — I’m doing a giveaway! Tuesday I’ll draw a name from everyone who enters (simply by subscribing to my Substack page) and giveaway a brand new Bible (pink, NLT, large print) and a set of tabs. If you want to enter, go here and subscribe!! XOXO - Something about this season opens people up a little more to hear God’s story and the work of Jesus. One way you can do that is by sharing this site and telling others your own stories of faith experiences. Maybe, just maybe, God will even give us opportunities to pray for people He puts in our paths. I’d love to hear about it when He does!
Featured Photo by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash. “All the Bits and Pieces” photo by Aleksandra Sapozhnikova on Unsplash.
^Denotes an affiliate link, with which this ministry earns a bit to help it keep going. 😉