WORD: OC's 60-Day New Testament PlanSample

How to Pray Like a Tax-Collector In the time of Jesus, a servant had no rights as a citizen. They worked and worked with no expectation of praise or recognition. Jesus is our Lord, Master, and Savior. He has called us to follow and serve him. Of course the incredible blessing that Christ provides is that when we come to him as a servant, he welcomes us as a sister or brother and friend. As you read Luke 18, hopefully you came across a couple of elements that are found in your prayers. The first is persistence based on the character of God in verses 1-8. Second, we must come forward to God with a sense of penitence. The Pharisee was prideful and in no way admitted that he was sinful in the sight of God. The tax collector, however, knew he was a sinner and asked for God's mercy. When we pray we can't simply be persistent or only occasionally asking for God's forgiveness. It must be a continual balance of both. This example of prayer says a lot about the motives that can drive us. Luke 17 spoke to the motivations that spur us on to serve God. Although we receive a reward someday in heaven, that recognition comes after our initial servant response. Our motivation to prayer must come from a place of humility, because even sacred activities such as prayer are subject to impure motives. Every act, even the most pious, can be ruined by our sin. May God give us the humility in our prayer life and the grace that He gave this tax-collector. And may God deliver us from the pride and self-righteousness of the Pharisee. Written By Natalie Howard Student, Oklahoma Christian University