For to come near to God, we must be thoroughly cleansed inside and out. Self-affliction, enabled by fasting, creates humility—the only path to holiness.

The best offering we can present is a humble and contrite heart, attainable through fasting, if done without pride and self-seeking.

Any time we feel prompted to exalt ourselves, we demonstrate Satan's spirit of pride, thereby jeopardizing our entry into God's family.

Hebrews warns us to resist the pernicious pulls of the world and the flesh that cause us to spiritually drift, particularly pride and double-mindedness.

Regular fasting should be among the most essential and effective items in our spiritual toolbox, one we use to draw close to God.

Humility is not an obsequious act we turn on and off at will, but a sober reflection of our true relationship to God and our spiritual siblings.

Even as several grandiose building projects have terminated because of cost overruns, so must we carefully count the cost of our spiritual building project.

The two men who go to the Temple to pray contrast in character, belief, and self-examination. The contrast shows how to be justified before God.

Paradoxically, God stoops to us when we humble ourselves. Humility produces honor from God; if we humble ourselves, He will hear us.

The antidote to the fear of repentance caused by pride is godly humility and the willingness to be set on the right spiritual course.

Fasting makes us feel helpless and weak, producing humility. Only then will we listen with the intensity needed to believe, repent, and submit to God.

The prospect of death makes one more mature and self-aware, illuminating the meaning of Ecclesiastes 7:2-4 that it is better to go to the house of mourning.

This world in general touts self-confidence as a key indicator of capability and success, even if one has to 'fake it' until he makes it.

Humility, poverty of spirit, and acknowledging our total dependence on God are of the utmost importance. God responds to those who are humble.

Two tests to reveal the presence of pride are the way we treat others (especially our own family) and the way we receive instruction or correction.

Living by 'No pride, no problem' eliminates the grief associated with placing our desires over God's will for us when facing demotions or loss of status.

Fasting puts us in a proper humble and contrite frame of mind, allowing God to respond to us, freeing us from our burdens and guiding us into His Kingdom.

Fasting brings our heart into alignment with God. The very best offering we can present is a humble and contrite heart, put on the fast track through fasting.

The Day of Atonement, when God commands us to afflict our souls, is a day of self-evaluation and repentance to seek unity with Him and our brethren.

God's people may fall into the trap of forgetting the sinful past from which God rescued them and come to look disdainfully on those not yet called.

The greatest, according to Jesus Christ, can be determined by the one who serves the most with an attitude of humility, generosity, and other-centeredness.

The intent of fasting is to deflate our pride—the major taproot of sin—the biggest deterrent to a positive relationship with God. Humility heals the breach.

In addition to thanking God for all He does, it is a godly principle to take time to consider the kind acts of others and let them know we appreciate them.

God has used famine as one of the tools to get the Israelites' attention when they violated the terms of the Covenant with Him, forsaking His holy law.

Deference is a foundational virtue. It reveals one's humility—that he is thoughtfully aware of others and seeking to serve them even in insignificant ways.

As Haman demonstrates, God deposes the proud and will bring them low. We must learn to humble ourselves under God's hand, and He will exalt us.

As the day of God's wrath appears imminent, we must diligently seek the Lord, righteousness, and humility. Contrition pleases God the most.

Humility is not low self esteem, but instead it is a proper estimate of our relationship to God, which is a choice to act and behave as a servant or slave.

Pride is a perverted comparison that elevates one above another. Because of its arrogant self-sufficiency, it hinders our faith. Faith depends on humility.

We have all become little 'sovereigns.' Everyone thinks he or she can make up the rules about God's truth, when God is to be the sole arbiter of truth.

Romans 12-16 provide a checklist for overcoming and promoting positive relationships, developing tender affection. We are mutually dependent upon one another.

The epistle of James stresses both faith and works, emphasizing those factors necessary for growth, enabling us to produce a bountiful harvest of fruit.

Since the beginning, God's purpose has been to bring all things into harmony with Him, giving mankind a respite from the heaviness of a sin-laden world.

We fast to learn humility, sacrifice, and empathy towards our Savior, who had His blood shed and who bore our sins, being forsaken for our sakes.

What God is most interested in is the heart behind the offering, and what is in the heart will be seen in what we are willing to do for the sake of a brother.

The belief that America was or is a Christian nation cannot be supported by the facts. The world, governed by Satan, hates Christ's true followers.

We must have both perseverance and humility in prayer to keep our vision sharp and clear. Without humility, the doorway to acceptance by God is closed.

Americans have a hard time submitting to authority and like to consider themselves as sovereigns, having the last say over anything including church doctrine.

Nothing that we could ever do could impress God, except for our contrition, acknowledgment of our infirmity, and remorse for our sins which displease God.

Jesus Christ expects His followers to serve while expecting nothing in return. Whoever wants to become great must fill the role of an unpretentious servant.

Religious narcissists, who identify with the servant who received ten talents, cherry-pick Scripture to enhance their self-love and support their views.

Fasting is not for pressuring God or attempting to put Him in debt, but instead to reveal what we really are, clothing us with the humility to yield to Him.

We are not individually sovereign, but we are taught to give ourselves over completely to God's sovereignty. If we do, we will reap unfathomable blessings.

The chief tool we can use to do good (building positive relationships between other people) is to develop and exercise the mind of God within us.