Jesus, help me always realize that once I decided to let You empower me to be born again and provide me with Your wonderful Christian Life, I became God’s child; God became my heavenly Father; and, immediately the Spirit of God started helping me feel a special attachment to God. However, I, as a Christian, am an imperfect human serving a perfect God. One of the first issues, as a Christian, I must face is, what I am to do about the things I think, feel, say, and do that are wrong? As a human, I am going to make mistakes. But, what should my ATTITUDE be when I do things I know I shouldn’t? Teach me how to handle the sins, shortcoming, mistakes, and failures I have, now that I am God’s child.

Jesus, I have started off with a great excitement about all my past, present, and future sins being forgiven. But, it is easy for me to see that those things I am currently doing, that are wrong, are hurting me, those around me, and God’s plan. I am Christian; but, sometimes I don’t act like a true Christian. What am I supposed to do about my mistakes, inconsistencies, sins, and failures? I want to stop hurting myself, other people, and Your plan.

Jesus, there are times when I have done something really bad; I feel very guilty about it, and, I don’t know where I stand in my relationship with my heavenly Father. As You provide me with a parable (an earthly illustration that teaches spiritual principles) about two men who came to God in prayer, help me understand it and be able to apply it to my own life. Since both of them had done some things that were wrong, both of them needed God’s help. Assist me in understanding why only one of them got it.

Luke 18:9-10 (NIV) To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. Jesus, help me understand that the Pharisee was thought to be a very godly person; and, the tax collector was thought to be a great sinner.

Luke 18:11-12 (NIV) The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ Jesus, help me see that this person was looking to themselves and their good deeds to balance out what they did that was wrong, bad, or evil. Rather than feeling bad about their failures, sins, misdeeds, and mistakes and repenting, they thought they could cancel them by trying to be good. Help me not make this mistake.

Luke 18:13-14a (NIV) 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.’ I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. Jesus, help me understand that this person, even though he was doing a lot of wrong, bad, and evil things, did what it took to be forgiven of all his sins.

Luke 18:14b (NIV) For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Jesus, teach me all the important aspects of this vital Biblical principle. Help me see that no matter how many good things I think I have done, they don’t have any redeeming effect on any of those wrong, bad, or evil things I do to myself, others, and Your plan; I MUST repent to You; and, I MUST make it right with those I have hurt.

John 3:3 (NIV) In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” Jesus, I thank You that You helped me use The Lord’s Prayer when I was born again. Thank You for empowering me to obey Romans 10:8-10; that gave me forgiveness from all my past, present, and future sins. That gave me a perfect record with God. I thank You for working such a miracle in my life. Now, help me share this powerful procedure with those around me.

1 John 1:9 (NIV) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. Jesus, as a child of God, I now have a perfect record with God. And, I have You and the Holy Spirit inside me empowering me. You are helping me go to my heavenly Father and admit that I sinned, every time I do something wrong, bad, or evil. Since You have made it possible for me to have direct access to God, because of my perfect record, I can “do what it takes” to maintain my relationship with Him. Help me always repent (make a spiritual U-turn), so that all my benefits, as a child of God, remain intact.

1 John 1:10 (NIV) If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word has no place in our lives. Jesus, when You, the Bible, the Holy Spirit working with my conscience, or a Christian friend indicate to me that I have done or are doing something wrong, bad, or evil, help me IMMEDIATELY take the issue to God and see what He says.

Jesus, for this study in Luke 18:9-14 about the Pharisee and the tax collector, let me study it from the perspective that both men were born again. Like me, both of them were doing things that were wrong, things that were hurting them, hurting other people, and hurting the plan of their heavenly Father. But, their attitudes about those thoughts, feelings, words, and actions were totally different. Help me understand and change based on the vital principles that are being presented to me.

Jesus, help me not be like the Pharisee, who had redefined the meaning of sin and had decided that he really wasn’t doing anything wrong. Instead of him following the truths of the Bible, he had forgiven himself, justified his actions, excused his behavior, surrounded himself with friends who were telling him it wasn’t his fault, and decided that God was good with the way he was living. Empower me to not take that approach to You, the Bible, and the work the Holy Spirit is doing in my conscience.

Jesus, help me be like the tax collector, who knew he was doing wrong and felt guilty about it. Help me be like him and not forgive myself, justify my deeds, explain them away, try to get my friends to tell me that it wasn’t my fault, or turn away from God and the Bible. Help me do like him and believe the Bible and ITS definition of what sin is. Help me do like him and compare the Bible’s definition with my life. And, then empower me do like him and allow God to help me feel bad about what I have done to myself, other people, and God’s plan. Help me repent of all I have done and say: “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Give me this the kind of attitude and procedure that gets results.