Posture of our prayers

Posture of our prayers

S -  Luke 18
⁹ And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: ¹⁰ “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. ¹² I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ ¹³ But the tax collector,standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ ¹⁴ I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

O - Jesus tells a parable that is helping the people understand the posture they should come to when praying to the Father.  Out of a good heart I believe the Pharisee aimed through self discipline to follow God's ways, but the over time this turned them judgemental where they were not following God's commands to submit to him, and but became outwardly focused and concerned with what others were doing (or not doing).  There hearts had shifted from who they were in relationship to God to who they were in relationship to other people.  But the tax collector who though may not have chose the disciplined path since you, came to God humbly and submitted.

A -  The application for me is to recognize that my own walk with God can turn from a me submitted to God type relationship to me judging others.  I must consistently come back to God in humble worship and submission with my heart submitted to his correction and mercy.   When I see others I must not be comparative with their righteousness but simply in trust and awe of God's grace and sufficiency in their life.  

P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for today's lesson, may it be sealed to my life.  I pray Lord for forgiveness if I have been judgmental of others in a comparative way.   I pray Lord for the humble spirit to come before you broken and inadequate without you.