Prayer Goals:"I want to pray with humility"

Introduction

We have devoted our attention to prayer this entire month. In church life, the word prayer is thrown around numerous times but I believe that many Christians don’t pray as after as they should.

Prayer Goals

I want to pray for other people.

I want to pray with 100% certainty.

I want to pray for miracles.

Every goal is funneled towards the same goal. We are to pray in God’s authority, character, and with His kingdom in mind.

There is great power in prayer when we dedicate ourselves to the practice.

Prayer can also be glamorized too often.

Last week I asked the question, “Do you ever humanize your prayers?”

I was talking in regard to limiting what God can do with our lack of faith in His ability.

We can also humanize our prayers by making them about ourselves and our own glory.

Riding in a fancy vehicle compared to a junker. No matter what our experience, a car that breaks down requires the same response. Humility.

Do we recognize the vehicle that we drive through prayer is not ours? We are to approach prayer with humility.

Prayer Goal # 4: “I want to pray with humility.”

The way we approach prayer as individuals in the church setting carries a strong ramification for our daily standing with the Lord.

Luke 18:9–14 NASB95

And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. “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. ‘I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ “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!’ “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.”

1. Prayer always starts with our motive. (v. 9)

Luke 18:9 NASB95

And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt:

Luke identifies a specific recipient of this parable. It’s interesting to think about what is happening when a group of people get together to pray. While everyone may appear to be focusing on the task at hand, there are many different things happening.

Luke is talking about the motive of peoples prayer. The type of person that views themselves as righteous and others less than them.

Trusted - to have strong confidence or reliance upon self.

Righteous - Characterized by or proceeding from accepted standards of morality or justice.

Contempt - Lit. made of nothing.

Others - Throwing everyone else besides self into one class.

While self confidence is seen as a virtue in modern day culture, this is not so in the scriptures. Being self confident can become self righteousness and cause others to looks down on people.

This concept was seen strongly in the pharisees. The Jewish religious party who required strict adherence to the law and traditions.

The enemy loves for Christians to make distinctions amongst one another. Money, class, morality, and good decisions give us the temptation to treat each other differently. Christians comparing themselves to one another is the same as a group of men camping for a week without bathing and arguing about who smells the best. It’s silly!

Self righteousness is not the motive in which a Christian should every begin a prayer. We will divide ourselves from other people and divide ourself from God’s blessing.

Check your motive every time you begin a prayer. Identify it before you go any further.

2. Prayer with a self-motive. (v11-12)

Luke 18:11–12 NASB95

“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. ‘I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’

Luke 18:

Exegesis

Stood- Standing was the ordinary posture of the Jews in prayer.

Other people - A Jewish saying that a true rabbi out to thank God every day of his life that he was not created a gentile and that he was not a woman.

Twice a week - The law required only one fast in the year. The Pharisees fasted every Monday and Thursday during the weeks between Passover and Pentecost.

Tithe - The regular Israelite did not pay tithes of his possessions, but only of his gains—his annual increase.

The pharisee arrogantly distanced himself from the rest of mankind. He praises God that he is not like other sinners. He believed he was well above them and even gave a arrogant look at the poor tax collector. He is thankful that he does not have to be like him beating.

While everyone came to confess sins and spiritual wants, he felt that he had none.

While everyone came to confess sins and spiritual wants, he felt that he had none.

What this Pharisee said about himself was strictly true, but the spirit of the prayer was all wrong. He glances at God but contemplates himself. After his opening word he does not refer to God again, but he himself is never out of the picture. \

The great concern of a pharisee/self-righteous person:

Religious authority over people. - Jesus served the people

Concern for outward recognition and honor. - God cares for the heart of person

Enthusiasm for making converts. - Not to be like Christ, but like them.

Emphasis on observing the legalist pattern of the law. - Not discipleship of Jesus but of the law

Self-righteousness is a great poison of the Christian life and it affects how people view the church. We don’t want people talking about our buildings, clothes, great behavior, programs, good looks, or “ministry” successes.

Prayer with a self motive is dangerous for the soul of every person. We don’t have a leg of self righteousness to stand on. We can’t allow the leaven of self-righteousness affect the way we operate as individuals and as a church.

3. Prayer with a humble motive. (v.13-14)

Luke 18:13–14 NASB95

“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!’ “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.”

Jesus taught that in order for a Christian to go high, they have to be willing to go low.

Exegesis

“standing some distance away” - He felt unworthy to draw near; but that was the way to get near.

- “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

“unwilling to lift up” - blushing and ashamed to do so.

“be merciful” - “be propitiated” a very unusual word in such a sense, only once else used in the New Testament, in the sense of “making reconciliation” by sacrifice.

“sinner” - Lit. “the sinner”; that is, “If ever there was one, I am he.”

This man approached the time of prayer with sorrow asking for mercy. He had nothing to plead so he could only throw himself down at the mercy of God. It was the only thing that he dared to ask for.

The pharisee was not seeking justification and felt no need of it. The tax collector was “poor in spirit” or “self-emptied”. This hunger for God’s grace is promised to be rewarded.

Lessons from humility:

God hears sinners. We are never to lift up our good deeds to the Father as much as we are to lift up our mess to God. There is harldly a page in scripture that it is not clearly written that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.

True repentance is manifested by confession of sin before God.

Biblical humility is grounded in the character of God.

The Father stoops down to help the poor and the needy.

- “4 The Lord is high above all nations; His glory is above the heavens. 5 Who is like the Lord our God, Who is enthroned on high, 6 Who ahumbles Himself to behold The things that are in heaven and in the earth? 7 He raises the poor from the dust And lifts the needy from the ash heap, 8 To make them sit with princes, With the princes of His people. 9 He makes the barren woman abide in the house As a joyful mother of children. Praise the Lord!”

4 The Lord is high above all nations;

His glory is above the heavens.

5 Who is like the Lord our God,

Who is enthroned on high,

6 Who ahumbles Himself to behold

The things that are in heaven and in the earth?

7 He raises the poor from the dust

Jesus displayed humility from the manger to the cross. - - “Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.

And lifts the needy from the ash heap,

8 To make them sit with princes,

With the princes of His people.

9 He makes the barren woman abide in the house

As a joyful mother of children.

Praise the Lord!

Humility is necessary to enter God’s kingdom. - “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

God gives grace to the humble -

God exalts the humble -

God rewards the humble with wisdom -

God selected humble people to be leaders - Luke 22:24-27

Praying for Bo. Knowing that God gave him life helps me understand every day that my children, my wife, my ministry, and my life is not mine unless God determines it so. Everything I have is a gift from God and not from my self.

This tax collector approached prayer with the right motive, but he does need to know something that you and I need to know when we approach the throne of grace in prayer.

He lived in the old coventant which did provide fellowship with God under the law. This man at that time could not rely on a finished and eternal sacrifice for sin that could appease God once and for all. It was appropriate at that time for him to pray this way.

But now that Christ has died and God is satisfied, there is no need to ask for eternal forgiveness once you become saved. God is appeased, placated, and satisfied eternally.

- “It is by grace you have been saved through faith”

“Christ died for sins once for all. The just for the unjust”

“He saved us. Not on the basis of deeds that we have done..”

This is the message that we bring to a lost world: Receive the Savior who through His death satisfied the wrath of God.

Jeremiah 9:23–24 NASB95

Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord.

The Lord will delight in your humble prayers!