Manna Moment - Prayer or Self Exaltation?

[Rev. Lyn Bell]

 

Luke 18:11-12  “The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.  I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.” 

Good morning it’s Thursday and over the midweek blues.  Fortunate for vegetation it is raining again, unfortunately for me the rain keeps me from cruising on Savannah.   It’s been a rough week as each morning has started with rain, but today I got on my treadmill instead determined that some activity will take place.  Join us for PUSH Intercessory Prayer on Saturday mornings at 7:30 a.m.  The prayer call is an opportunity for prayer as well as clarion word from the guest speaker of the week.  You can be a part by dialing in from wherever you are at that hour:  1-570-310-0170; Access Code:  927327#.  Hear you online! 

Today’s text is one of those passages that serve as a reminder of what our journey is really about.  It’s written by the Apostle Luke, who by the way was a physician and is a powerful writer of one of the synoptic gospels.  He recounts a parable told by Jesus where two men were at the temple praying, one was a Pharisee and other a tax collector.  As you read the Pharisee really was giving a self testimonial before God in his tithing and life of fasting.  On the other hand the tax collector would not even lift his eyes to God.  He wasn’t just humble, but pointed himself as the sinner par excellence or the sinner of sinners.  Jesus said it was that heartbroken, self despising prayer that won him acceptance before God.  These are the three points regarding true prayer and humility: (1) No one who is proud can pray, the gate of heaven is so low that none can enter it save upon their knees. (2) No one who despises others can pray.  In prayer we do not lift ourselves above others.  We all fall short of God’s glory daily.  (3) Lastly true prayer comes from setting our lives beside the life of God.  When we parallel ourselves the question is not am I a good neighbor, but rather am I as good as God?  When we set our lives besides the life of Jesus and the holiness of God, all we can say is “God be merciful to me – the sinner.”  God bless you today!