Litany of Humility

The first Christian book I read 2 months after I came to know the Lord in 1974 was George Verwer's 'Hunger for Reality'. That book revolutionized me. I am still grateful to George Verwer for that. There is a prayer in that book called a 'Litany of Humility' that I would like to share with you.

Nowadays, I hear of some speakers talking about praying powerful prayers that shake the heavens and the earth. I wonder. Well if ever any of our prayers do shake anything, then this must be one of the most "powerful" prayers anyone can pray. There is probably no "greater" self-emptying prayer than this. If only everyone of us were to pray this from time to time :


O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, hear me.

Deliver me Jesus,

from the desire of being loved,
from the desire of being extolled,
from the desire of being esteemed,
from the desire of being honored,
from the desire of being praised,
from the desire of being preferred to others,
from the desire of being consulted,
from the desire of being approved,
from the fear of being humiliated,
from the fear of being despised,
from the fear of being rebuked,
from the fear of being forgotten,
from the fear of being ridiculed,
from the fear of being wronged,
from the fear of being misunderstood,
from the fear of being suspected,

And Jesus, give me the grace to desire

that others might be loved more than I,
that others may be esteemed more than I,
that in the opinion of the world others may
increase and I may decrease,
that others may be chosen and I set aside,
that others may be praised and I unnoticed,
that others may be preferred to me in everything,
that others may become holier than I, provided
that I become as holy as I should