Good morning and a blessed Thursday morning to you.

Martin Luther said that next to the preaching of the Word of God, the greatest devotion that we can render to God is prayer.  Today I want to pose a question for us to consider. What is the attitude that we should have when we pray? 

Luke 18:9-10

9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 

Let's look at these two men briefly. A tax collector in ancient day was absolutely hated. They could extort money from people. Whatever they had to turn in, they turned in. But whatever extra they could get went right into their pocket.  One commentator commented on this text, “This was a tax collector in ancient day with a conscience.”

The other person mentioned here was a Pharisee. Pharisees were a first century Jewish sect. About five to ten percent of the Jewish population fell into the camp of being a Pharisee. Pharisees were really a political party and a religious faction.

What we see in Scripture is that it was really an adversarial relationship  between Jesus and the Pharisees. For example, Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for how they abandoned Scripture as they held to human traditions.

Let's continue with Luke 18:11-14…

11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other, for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Thanks be to God that our justification (just as if we never sinned) comes through Christ, and not by what we do. Thanks be to God that Christ bore all of our sins on the cross. And that sacrifice has been accepted because the tomb of our Lord is empty.

I want to focus on that attitude of prayer that we see in the tax collector.  The attitude of prayer that we see from the tax collector is one of humility. At the heart of that humility was a confession of sin, and a dependence on God for forgiveness. Would God by his grace births in us ...in our prayer, is coming to him in humility, confessing of our sins, dependent upon him for forgiveness.

Luther was one day addressing an issue with some people in which they were frustrated that God wasn't answering their prayers according to how they thought God should answer them.  Luther’s response to them reflected the humility that God calls and empowers us to have with regard to prayer. Luther responded to them, “Let God be God”.   

So, humility, with regard to our prayers... He births in us a humility as we confess our sins. He births in us that dependence upon him for forgiveness. And he births in us a reliance and a resting in his answers.

Gracious Heavenly Father, we give you thanks for the gift of prayer. We ask that by your grace what may characterize our prayers is a humility…. a humility of confession, the humility of dependents upon you for forgiveness, and humility upon waiting and trusting in however you answer. We praise you. We thank you in Jesus’ name.

God bless you this week. Encourage someone!

Pastor Eibel