Pray the Word with David Platt is a resource from Radical.net.

2 Samuel chapter 17, verse 11.

But my counsel is that all Israel be gathered to you, from Dan to Bersheba,

as the sand by the sea for multitude, and that you go to battle in person.

Now this is really interesting in light of praying through 2nd Samuel chapter 16

and our need for good, wise counsel in our lives

and praying that God would make us good, wise counselors in others' lives.

Here in 2nd Samuel chapter 17, verse 11,

Hushai gives deceptive counsel to Absalom in a way that appeals to

Absalom's pride. And Absalom goes along with this deceptive counsel primarily because of pride in Absalom.

Oh, what a dangerous thing pride is.

Pride that filters counsel according to what is best for us.

Instead of filtering counsel according to what is best for us instead of filtering counsel according to what is best for others and for the glory of God. You see the difference with humility. We think through decisions

and we consider counsel in light of what will be good for others

and what will be glorifying to God, not what will exalt us, not what will be best for us

at the expense of others. So humility says, I want to do what's wise and good for others and for the glory of God.

Pride says, I want to do what's good for me. I want to do what exalts me, what's best for me.

And that's the kind of counsel that Absalom gives into here in 2nd Samuel chapter 17.

And so it's good for us to pause in light of this verse and pray,

God, give us humility. We pray together right now for humility. God, I pray for humility. And we pray

for humility in our lives. God rid us of pride, rid us of filtering.

All our thoughts and motives and desires according to what is best for us will make us look

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