RTW 2023

Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else.

Luke 18:9

“It is entirely possible to address your words to God, but actually be praying to yourself, because your focus is on yourself, not on God. Your passion is for your agenda, not God’s. Your attitude is my will be done and not Thy will be done. The man was full of praise, but he rejoiced “not for who God was but rather for who he was!” – Marvin Pate

We demonstrate how we view our righteousness in how we pray. We actually address ourselves with our own words when we:

• focus on ourselves, not God.
• passion is for our agenda, not God’s.
• pray our will be done, not God’s will be done.
• praise ourselves, not God.

How we approach God in prayer matters and boasts loudly of either our spiritual arrogance or humility.

• The perspective of our sin matters.
• The posture of our prayer matters.
• The opinion of ourselves matters.

“In the original Greek the words are even fewer than in the English. Oh, that men would learn to pray with less of language and more of meaning! What great things are packed away in this short petition! God, mercy, sin, the propitiation, and forgiveness.” – Charles Spurgeon

‍

Would I follow through with my calling if I knew pain, and even death were both ahead? Perhaps this is why God only reveals His plan a little at a time.

Am I spiritual arrogant? Test me Lord and see. Show me any way in me that is arrogant, so I might repent and be cleansed?