At the foundation of living by faith lies a profound dependence upon God to supply the spiritual needs we lack by nature or have not developed. Poverty of spirit, a key element of humility, reflects this dependence, recognizing that only through His Spirit can we rightly evaluate ourselves and receive the spiritual riches we so desperately need. God's calling enables us to perceive our position in relation to Him and His awesome purpose, fostering a reliance on Him for guidance and growth. Living in conscious and active dependence on the greatness and sovereignty of God is exemplified by humility. Such a person walks with God without pride, demonstrating a character that glorifies Him. This dependence is mirrored in the life of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who, despite His greatness, relied entirely on the Father to supply His needs. He did not act independently but maintained perfect communication with the Father, humbly deferring to His will and authority. Jesus clearly expressed this dependence, ensuring He aligned with the Father's purpose in all He did. Similarly, John the Baptist exemplified this dependence by accepting the role God assigned him, rejoicing in the fulfillment of both his and Jesus' purposes without envy, even as his own influence diminished. Paul also taught the importance of recognizing that any worthwhile quality in our lives comes from God's calling and the presence of Jesus Christ within us. He emphasized that God enables each of us with specific responsibilities and gifts, urging us to yield to Him in humility and dependence to fulfill our roles. This dependence on God, rooted in humility, paves the way for a proper relationship with Him. It ensures that we seek Him for the gifts that enable us to reflect His character, acknowledging His supremacy over every aspect of His creation, including ourselves and our fellow believers. Only through such dependence can we truly live by faith, submitting obediently to His instruction and receiving His blessings, honor, and forgiveness in response to our humble reliance on Him.

Our dependence upon God is a fundamental aspect of our spiritual journey, acknowledging that the right way to live is not within us by nature. As Jeremiah 10:23 reveals, the way of man is not in himself, and it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps. We must rely on Him, for only through access to His nature can we live the way He lives, a way that produces abundant life, endless peace, and supreme achievement. Prayer becomes an exceedingly important tool to harmonize with His will, not to force or cajole Him into aligning with our shortsighted ideas, but to draw near to the Spirit equipped to live eternally in peace and oneness. Humility plays a crucial role in this dependence, manifesting itself in obedience and ready submission to His will. It is through humility that we grow, witness for Him, glorify Him, and receive honor from Him. Honoring, praising, and requesting of Him are conscious acknowledgments of our dependency, destroying pride and vanity while encouraging the growth of humility and intense submission. As Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 16 teaches, these steps are humbling, reminding us of our nothingness and unworthiness in comparison to Him, and reinforcing our need to rely on His strength and guidance. True prayer is not about dictating to God or expecting Him to serve our desires, but about humbly expressing our need and committing our way to Him. It is a heartfelt acknowledgment of our dependency, content with Him supplying our needs according to His sovereign pleasure. As seen in II Corinthians 12:7-10, even when His response to our prayers differs from our expectations, like Paul's acceptance of strength to bear affliction, it fulfills a greater purpose, keeping us in a constant state of dependency on Him. Real prayer, as I John 5:14 confirms, is communion with Him, aligning our thoughts with His, so that His desires become ours, flowing back to Him in submission to His will.

Our dependence upon God is a fundamental aspect of our spiritual journey, recognizing that we are not self-sufficient. Without Him, we perish, for we rely on His provision and guidance to fulfill His purpose for us. As pilgrims facing the uncertainties and terrors of life's hills, we look to Him for protection, asking, "Who will protect me?" We rest assured that He is always vigilant, never sleeping, with His eyes ever open, fully aware of every moment of our lives. He is serious about His responsibility toward us, ensuring that we are under His constant care as the apple of His eye. Prayer serves as a vital expression of this dependence, a daily verbal exercise in humbling ourselves before Him. It forces us to admit our humanity, inadequacy, and need, acknowledging that we require all that He is willing to give. Through prayer, we confess our lack and recognize that only He can provide what we need to be transformed into His image. It is not about changing His mind or informing Him of something He does not know, but about aligning ourselves with His will and admitting our reliance on His greatness. In prayer, we honor and worship Him, recognizing His awesome majesty, holiness, and power as the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity. This act of prostration before Him glorifies Him, as it is an exercise in faith—believing that He exists, hears us, and desires to give us good things necessary for His Kingdom. Prayer brings us into His very presence, exposing us to His positive, righteous, and unchanging attitudes, which can fill us with peace, joy, confidence, or even chastisement as we are led to repentance. Our dependence is further manifested in humility, a quality essential to salvation and growth, which draws Him close to us. Humility produces submission and obedience, leading to honor and preparation for His Kingdom. Prayer fosters this humility by compelling us to reflect on our frailties—our ignorance, weakness, and self-centeredness—and to seek His help as the only source of true change. When we pray with a genuine recognition of our need and His greatness, we are humbled, and His blessings flow to us, equipping us for service in His Kingdom. Even when we ask for our needs, prayer is not about dictating to Him but about confessing our awareness of our deficiencies. He commands us to pray without ceasing, not because He is unaware of our needs, but because it is good for us to acknowledge them before Him. Honoring, praising, and requesting from Him consciously acknowledges our dependence, destroying pride and vanity while encouraging humility and yieldedness. Thus, prayer is a means by which He communicates His blessings to us, a privilege and duty that shapes us into His image, reflecting our complete reliance on His sovereign will.