Is Prayerlessness a Form of Pride?

One thing that is often neglected for many believers is the continual dependence upon the Lord in prayer. Sure, we may give thanks for each meal, blurt out a quick blessings on our drive to work, or beg God to heal a loved one, but could we be described as a man or woman steadfast in prayer (1 Thess 5:17)? When one analyzes the answer to this question, do we dismiss it as a lack of time or an optional spiritual discipline? Something deeper may be at the root of our prayerlessness.

1 Peter 5:6-7 reads, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may life you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." Until recently, I noticed two commands in this passage: 1.)Humble yourselves and 2.) Cast all your anxiety on him. At best, I reasoned, they are indirectly connected, but the Apostle Peter does not mean for there to be any direct connection between the two.

Thankfully, my study of the Greek grammar has help to correct some of the misconceptions about this passage. I have been reading through Daniel Wallace's Greek Grammar: Beyond the Basics, and his insight to the particulars of Greek syntax has been particularly illuminating. Concerning the construction of this passage, he writes:

Although treated as an independent command in several modern translations, the participle should be connected witht he verb of v 6, tapeinothate. As such, it is not offering a new command, but is defining how believers are to humble themselves. Taking the participle as means enriches our understanding of both verbs: Humbling oneself is not a negative act of self-denial per se, but a positive one of active dependence on God for help (p 630).

Rather than being constructed as a separate command, the participle, often translated as "casting your cares on him," should be prefaced by the preposition by. This is a preposition of means, and it explains how we are to humble ourselves under God's might hand. To put it negatively, if one does not pray and cast our cares upon God, it reveals a haughty, proud spirit. It is the proud man that God will resist (James 4:6; 1 Pet 5:5).

My hunch is that when the Bible warns against prayerlessness, it does not do so simply because it is an optional spiritual disciple that should be accomplished, but that it is a barometer of the vitality of our spiritual lives. Moreover, when we are prayerless, we de-god God, for we declare ourselves to be self sufficient.