Have you ever noticed how many times in the Bible that Jesus goes against what might be considered normal in culture?  He often ends up doing or saying the opposite of what is expected.  Luke 18 has 4 different stories where the crowds and even His disciples expect one thing and Jesus does something different.  Let’s look at one of those stories about public prayer together today but I encourage you all to read the entire chapter as well.  

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, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ 13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on 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.”

I often talk to people who are uncomfortable with public prayers.  Perhaps it is because they have heard long prayers with large theological words and flowery language and that is all they are used to.  There is a time and place to pour your hearts out to God in such a way but I also love the humble, heart pouring out prayer of the tax collector here.  “Lord have mercy on me a sinner.”  That is a prayer that we can all pray.  God’s interest is our hearts not our prayer vocabulary.  May we all pour our hearts out to God in our prayers whether we use fancy words or simple ones God is simply interested in our hearts.