One of the greatest rewards as a professor is seeing lightbulbs come on in a student’s mind. When a question is so pressing and the student feels compelled to seek an answer, the discovery of a life-transforming truth can be right around the corner.

Kelly sits in the front row of class. The topic of the day was pride. One of the quotes from a scholar on Richard Baxter, an English Puritan, was displayed on a PowerPoint slide. It read, “Pride is associated with prayerlessness, [a] lack of thankfulness.” Kelly pondered these words before this conversation ensued:

Kelly: Professor Jung, why do you think that pride is associated with prayerlessness?

Me: What is the purpose of prayer?

Kelly: Um…to align our hearts with Lord’s!

Me: Yes! So what happens when we aren’t in prayer?

Kelly: Our heats aren’t aligned with the Lord’s.

Me: Yes! Which results in…

Kelly: Pride

Yes! So, as you are in prayer, your heart begins to align with the Lord’s, which then leads you to walk in humility.

Kelly: That’s powerful!