AM - Psalm 95, 32 and 143
PM - Psalm 102 and 130
Gospel - Luke 18:9-14
For reflection: What lesson about our prayer attitude is Jesus teaching here?
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I suppose its natural…but it’s still weird.
Many folks see prayer as a performance. Just listen in church or at state occasions to those who step to the podium and offer a blessing. Some folks write them out. Others seem to memorize them. And the language can be down-right Shakespearean! I know folks who can get every “thee” and “thou” in the right spot in a way that would make the Queen of England proud.
In fact some are so intimidated by great “prayers” in church that they refuse to attempt it all together. They just don’t want to compete in that arena.
Funny. Jesus seems to feel just the opposite. He affirms a simple, one line prayer with the greatest prize you could…well, pray for: God hears this prayer. It is offered by a humble tax-collector and comes from a clearly broken heart. In contrast, the spiritual bragging of the professional religious athlete doesn’t even get past the ceiling. His words are beautiful and full of lead. If he could see them from God’s point of view he would have been so embarrassed. Yet he was too prideful to consider the prayer that God approves:
“Be merciful to me, Lord, a sinner.”
Try it as you walk this pilgrimage to Easter: keep your prayers simple and honest. Pray them as you might with a second grader. And start where this man did, with our own inadequacies and faults.
“Be merciful to me, Lord, a sinner.”
Strangely enough…it’s an award winning prayer.
May God bless us as we reflect on His word as we walk toward the cross.
- Jeff Walling
Keeping it simple is hard to do in public bc unfortunately we equate length and "verboseness" to how "important" or meaningful it is. Our goal should be clarity and sincerity instead of trying to impress bc we're all in the same boat when it comes to the need for prayer.
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