Does God Hear Me?
9. To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable.
10. Two men went up to the Temple to pray: one a Pharisee, and the other a tax collector.
11. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed; “God, I thank You that I am not like other people – robbers, evil doers, adulterers – or even as this tax collector.”
12. “I fast twice in the week, I give a tenth of all that I get.”
13. And the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to Heaven, but beat his breast and said, “God, have mercy upon me, a sinner.”
14. I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Luke 18:9-14
Why we should be humble when we pray.
Have you ever asked the question, “does God hear me?” If you have ever seriously engaged in prayer, this question has more than likely run through your mind. It is not just that we have doubts, but so often we feel a sense of unworthiness and even downright filthiness before God. Is that a healthy attitude? Let me give several reasons why that attitude reflects great humility.
First, you would not be praying if you didn’t need God. This life is filled with needs that humans are not equipped to answer. O yes, there will be a ton of impossible situations that man cannot solve, but God still performs the impossible. The entirety of the Christian is based on the fact that God Himself came down to human level in the person of Jesus Christ in order to elevate us to God’s level. For that reason, we need God and should always pray.
Second, God is Almighty and should be approached with great reverence, respect, and honor. Make no mistake about it, God is Holy and even the Angels in Heaven deeply reverence and bow before Him. Man is made lower in rank, power, and creative glory than Angels and for that reason, humans must express their reverence before God. Those who don’t reflect that sense of awe will one day bow anyway. As it is written, every knee will bow in Heaven and on earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the Glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:10-11.
Third, we commit sins and desperately need God to forgive us. If that is not the truth then we are deceiving ourselves. We must remember that sin is measured two ways. There are those things that we do or commit that is against God’s Word. Whenever you or I violate Scripture, it is called a sin whether it is intentional or not. The other way to measure sin is whenever we don’t do the things we should – that is sin. If I don’t respond to someone in need and I have the power to respond, I am sinning against that person and against God. It comes under the “love thy neighbor” command. The point is, we are sinners and we ALL need God’s forgiveness. Thankfully, when we accept Jesus Christ into our hearts, the power of the Holy Spirit transforms us and teaches us not to commit sin but to use our gifts and abilities to obey God. From that moment on, it is the work of the Holy Spirit that produces righteousness in our lives. Hence, every believer begins to bear good fruit and live a life that is pleasing to God.
Yet, even with the Holy Spirit working, there is still that feeling of humility. The doubt and trepidation is replaced by gratitude towards God rather than feeling entitled. Notice how God warns those who depend on their own righteousness in Luke’s prelude on prayer. To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable. Warning: if you depend on your own righteousness or you look down on others, God will not hear your prayer. So, does God hear me? Let’s find out.
Bragging & Boasting Does Not Count as Prayer.
Self-righteous people and those who look down on others will not be able to get a prayer through to God. This attitude is not new. It was introduced by Cain who attempted to persuade God to hear him based on human merit. Rather than Cain’s prayer being pleasing to God, it was just the opposite. According to Genesis 4, Cain’s attitude was so repulsive that it affected his relationship with his brother. Rather than obey God, Cain resorted to other means and ended up slaying Abel over his own misguided worship. Prayer is not about man getting the credit – but God getting the Glory.
Some of the same attitudes are expressed in Churches today. There is not only intense competition between Churches, but there are also divisions among members in each Church who see their way as better than everybody else. Whoever told some folks that Jesus Christ came to make you smarter than others? Whoever told some folks that Salvation will bless you to get a bigger house, car, boat, or have more money than others around you? This is nothing more than pride, and Jesus condemned such pride in this parable. Again, you pray because you need God to help you. It is not about getting God’s endorsement as the cutest thing this side of Heaven.
The Pharisee prayed or thought he was praying. Listen as he boasts and compares himself with others. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed; “God, I thank You that I am not like other people – robbers, evil doers, adulterers – or even as this tax collector” … “I fast twice in the week, I give a tenth of all that I get.” As the saying goes, he laid it on thick but he was only praying to himself. The nerve of this man to use time before God and play the game of “mirror, mirror on the wall.” Using over thirty words of self-glorification and utter arrogance, this Pharisee said nothing that was appealing to God. Instead of talking with The Creator, the Pharisee was simply talking to himself. The lesson we learn is that petitioning God in this manner is one sure way to get a REJECTION from the Lord.
Humility goes all the way to Heaven.
By contrast we see someone who was considered to be a terrible sinner and traitor to his own nation, yet he prayed with humility. Using only seven words, the tax collector said all that needed to be said and dared to even look up to Heaven because of his shame. I always remind others that they should not fight their own conscience. If you know you are a sinner – then admit it to yourself and God. That is exactly what the tax collector did. And the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to Heaven, but beat his breast and said, “God, have mercy upon me, a sinner.”
Please note four things about the tax collector’s prayer. First, his position was that he prayed at a distance. His humility had instructed him that he was filthy and should not attempt to stand directly before God in an attempt to ignore his sinful condition. Yet, he did not take the other extreme and attempt to hide from God because of his sin. The position some take today is that they will either ignore their wrongdoing or they will try to hide their habits. Both approaches are totally powerless because of the All-Seeing Eye of God.
We also note that the tax collector expressed penitence toward God as he beat upon his breast in disgust with his evil ways. In Bible times, this was an act that showed great remorse, sorrow, and failure. The key is that the tax collector was doing these things from the heart. There was no script or rehearsal – he was “for real.”
The third expression by the tax collector is that his soul was in deep poverty. Note his lack of words that spoke volumes in Heaven. His poverty led him to call himself nothing more than “a sinner.” Rather than wait for his sin to find him out, the burden of his heart led him to the Temple. While others would gather close to the place of sacrifice, this man stood at a distance because he knew he was unworthy but needed God to hear his prayer. He was desperate for a taste of God’s Grace. He had judged himself and saw himself as a sinner. This led to the fourth expression of the tax collector.
In that humble state, the tax collector asked for one thing and one thing only – “God have mercy.” Mercy was his petition before God. The Pharisee did not ask God for anything. He just bragged, boasted, and belittled everyone else, and then left. The tax collector prayed with all his heart and got that prayer through to God. Why did he ask for Mercy? Mercy suited his case. The tax collector knew he had nothing that would be appealing in the Eyes of the Lord. But somewhere in his religious training he heard that God’s Mercy endures forever. He held on to that – and the prayer was answered.
Amen – The Prayer Conclusion
When we say “Amen” it is more than simply an ending. The word means – “so let it be.” In the case of the tax collector he was not the one to say ‘amen.’ God said it for him. Jesus acknowledged the tax collector’s prayer with words of affirmation. I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. So, if you want God to hear your prayer, then ask for Mercy. If you want God to hear your prayer, then humble yourself. God is listening and He does hear those who pray with a heart of sincerity.