How do we humble ourselves before God; and how can humbling ourselves before God get the Beatitudes functioning in our lives? The truth of the matter is “poor in spirit” is a state of being humble. That gets the Holy Spirit doing His great work in and through us. From there everything else starts to fall into place.

The problem we face is self-exaltation.

• We get to a place where God can use us.
• God does something awesome in and through our lives.
• We get to thinking that, that means we are someone special.
• God has to humble us.
• We have to start all over again.

Peter finally got to the place where the heavenly Father could tell him that Jesus was the son of the living God. Peter then thought that meant he was a spiritual authority on what God’s will was for Jesus going to the cross.

So, he took Jesus aside and rebuked Him and told Him He couldn’t go to the cross. Jesus then had to correct him and bring him back to a place of humility. Jesus had to tell Peter that he no longer was hearing from God but was listening to human concepts. From there Peter had to go back to and stay in a condition of being poor in spirit (Matthew 16:13-23).

Later, in the book of Acts, Peter was constantly flowing in the Beatitudes. This made it possible for him to obey Jesus and stay in Jerusalem until he was filled and brought under the control of the Holy Spirit. It caused him to know what to say when a crowd gathered (Luke 24:49-53; Acts 1:4-2:41). And it started him out in a mighty ministry for God’s glory and honor.

If we humble ourselves before God and stay there, He will take us to success in every one of the Beatitude components. If at any point we move into pride and start exalting ourselves or depending on our own strength, we have to go back to component one, poor in spirit, and start the process with God again.