Yesterday we talked about how not to pray. Today we are looking at the tax collector who got it right. He was commended for his humble prayer. Here is what it says in Luke 18:13-14
13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
The Pharisee was all about what He had done, and how good his deeds were. The tax collector realized that He needed God’s mercy because He was a sinner. The tax collector was the one who was justified, because he humbled himself before God. In light of that, if we want to know how to pray, this would be a great place to start. Let’s remember who God is. He is GOD! We are not! We are nothing without Him. He is our everything. Once we embrace salvation, we become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, but that also is only because of God’s great mercy. He gives us right standing, and a robe of righteousness, not to show off how great we are, but to demonstrate His goodness. Let’s come humbly before our awesome God.
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