By Dr. Kevin Brown, President of Asbury University
The Christian faith is inextricably linked with the virtue of humility. “Let the same [self-emptying mindset as Jesus] be in you,” says Paul in Philippians 2:5.
My wife describes humility as the “guardrail of the Christian life.” I think that is a wonderful description. And not just a guardrail, but a guidepost. Humility is how we move forward.
Our prayers, what C.S. Lewis describes as being fundamental to the Christian life, most often fall into one of 8 categories:
Notice the posture we are almost invariably forced to assume as we pray each category.
A request to God indicates our need. Expressing thanks enlarges our gratitude. Prayers for direction and guidance reinforce our interdependence (while minimizing independence). Intercessory prayer recognizes our lack of power and conveys our desire for God’s intervening power. When we confess and repent, we are brought to our knees. Surrender through prayer concedes God’s sovereignty. As we remember, we proclaim God’s faithfulness and unchanging character. And our worship is a declaration that He is God, we are not.
Here is the point: prayer makes us go lower. This is why the late Jonathan Sacks refers to prayer as “unselfing.” It nurtures meekness and injects the antibodies of humility into our collective bloodstream. And we need it. I know of no clear way for God’s people to meaningfully move forward without humility.
During the Outpouring, someone observed that continual, consecrating prayer—what was seen, and so much of what was unseen—was the “nuclear reactor” of all the spiritual goodness that occurred over those 16 days. That makes sense, particularly since that time was characterized as elevating “radical humility.”
I am so deeply thankful to our community, alumni, and stakeholders for their continued support of Asbury and our students, including their prayer. Many of us think of prayer as voicing our petitions before God—and it is certainly that and so much more. But it is also important to recognize prayer as an acquired virtue that builds our capacities for the very self-emptying humility we are called to model as followers of a humble God. As the late Tim Keller remarks, “prayer changes things.” Amen. And that includes us.
Dr. Kevin Brown serves as 18th president of Asbury University, bringing to the role a deep commitment to Christ-centered higher education, academic excellence, and faithful institutional stewardship. His leadership reflects both a long-standing connection to the Asbury community and a clear vision for guiding the University in a rapidly changing cultural and educational environment.
Learn More about President Brown and the leadership of Asbury University here.
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