10th Sunday after Pentecost 28.7.13 Serious prayer
If prayer is communing with God then there are degrees of how well or how badly we can do that.
If our prayer is just words and we are not really engaging with God then the prayer will be ineffective.
But if we really are authentic with Him, laying ourselves bare in His sight, then there is a much greater chance of the prayer being heard and making a difference.
In today’s parable the publican made this kind of prayer. Though his prayer was very brief it was heartfelt and therefore effective.
The Pharisee prayed for much longer but he was all hot air; not really engaging with God; just sounding his own praises.
What we need when we pray is a recognition of our true position before Almighty God, a recognition of our true status (humility), really seeing what is what, how things really are.
When we do that our prayer is going to be heartfelt, particularly with regard to sin and sorrow – necessary to get on level ground with God, from where we can then ask for other things.
‘I am sorry’ – we can say the words, but how deeply we mean them is another matter.
If we really do recognise that our sin is an offence against the majesty of God; and against the order of nature – then our sorrow will take us to the point that we will not sin again.
We will not sin again because we can see clearly (by God’s grace) what really is the truth.
The Church teaches that when we confess our sins we require firm purpose of amendment.
If we are sorry enough for our sins we will have this firm purpose of not re-offending.
We have turned the corner, crossed the threshold, made a quantum leap. The chains that bound us have been broken and we will not return to captivity.
Heaven is full of repentant sinners. No one sins in heaven but the people there still have free will. They do not sin because they do not want to sin. They can see a better way of doing things.
In this life it is not so easy for us to see the right way forward; but God will help us to see it once we ask His help.
The beginning of the whole process is in humility. Can we humble ourselves in God’s presence, or will pride keep us captive?
The Pharisee could not be forgiven his sins because he did not think he had any. Many today do not see their behaviour as an offence against God. They do not acknowledge His authority over them.
This prevents them (while this attitude lasts) from being forgiven, and will greatly impede anything else they ask for as well.
But we do acknowledge our sinfulness, and more generally our total dependence on God for all that we are and have.
If we keep that dependence in view, never letting it slip, we will make progress. Our behaviour will improve and so will the quality of our prayer.
The publican had hit on a gold mine by discovering the value of humble heartfelt prayer.
This is all that God asks of us: just to be humble before Him.
It sounds easy but our track record indicates that we do not find it easy. Pride was, after all, the first sin, and the besetting sin of the fallen angels.
Lord, make us humble enough to pray for more humility! Teach us to pray so that our prayer can be heard.
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