How Do You Pray?

Luke 18:9-14

9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men–robbers, evildoers, adulterers–or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ 13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” NIV

I think this is a terrific parable because it seems to me that each of us fits into one or the other category of “prayer”. I am not certain there is much gray area here.

The Pharisee begins by looking down upon other people. Now, I don’t know about you, but that seems like a poor way to begin praying to God. This guy likes to tell God about all the good things he has done. In fact, he has done them to an extent which is even greater than the law. He is truly full of himself.

Have you ever prayed to God in that manner? I know I have. I call it the, “Hey, God, look what I have done for You,” approach. There certainly is no humility in that approach.

Have you ever been glad that you weren’t “like those other people”. You know the ones I mean. They are the people who may be noisy in church or not have decent clothing to wear. They are the people that we just would prefer not to have in our midst. They just don’t “fit” in. And they most certainly cannot give as much or do as much as we can do. That is a given. In fact they may need something from us instead of being able to bring money for the offering. It has happened, you know. That is the bad Pharisee in us which is “praying”. What kind of a prayer can that person offer up. What he/she forgets is that God knows what he/she has done already.

But what of the publican or tax-collector who is one of the most disliked people around. Have we ever prayed like he prayed? I hate to admit that I do not so frequently pray in humility as he prayed. He could not even look up, and he was far away from the Holy of Holies. He was ashamed. Many of us need to feel both shame and humility for much of our behavior. It is so much easier to try to find a scapegoat for it than it is to say, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner”…and mean it.

Carol

Jesus Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.