The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

1. The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

2. How did the Pharisee pray? • With judgment of others • With self exaltation (Pride)

3. How did the Tax collector pray? • With Repentance • With Humility

4. “… for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:14)

5. Things to keep in mind • God sees our hearts, outside appearances don’t matter. • We should not do things to get praise from people or show off. • We should not compare ourselves with other people or dare to judge them. God alone knows our hearts and minds. • We must never look down on other people and think we’re better than them.

6. What Jesus tells us about prayer “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men…But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. (Matthew 6:5-6)

7. Things about prayer…. • A connection between me and God. • Prayer is like breathing; just like we can’t live without breathing, we can’t have a spiritual life without prayer.

8. We don’t just pray when we need something, it’s not a shopping list, we pray both in the good times, and in the hard times • A quote that someone wrote before “ is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?” do we pray just in time of trouble, or do we pray constantly so that God leads and guides our lives?

9. How should I feel during prayer • That I want to get peace and blessing from God and feel that connection with Him.I need to pray. God is the one who loves us unconditionally and we should always want to be with Him.

10. know that God is our only hope, that He is our strength, that we can do nothing without Him. That we need Him every second of every day. That we want Him to be with us every moment. • We should ask Him to help us truly know how to pray, and how to benefit, and how to feel His presence always during prayer, and how to live a life of prayer, keeping Him always in our hearts.

11. How should we pray?! • Letting go of all distractions • Humbling ourselves before God. • Praying with true repentance. • Out of love and longing for God. • Praying according to God’s will • Praying with faith • Praying unceasingly (Always)

12. During my prayer…. J Jesus O Others Y Yourself

13. A Fun thing to remember …

14. During our day… • Keeping God in our hearts always… By Prayer!!! • Speaking to Him always, during any moment of the day. Thanking Him. Going to Him, when we’re happy or sad. • He is ALWAYS there for us. The Jesus Prayer : My Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me, the sinner. My Lord Jesus Christ help me. My Lord Jesus Christ be with me.

15. Verse of the lesson “Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” (Romans 8:27)

16. To practice this week…. • When we pray this week we should, -let go of distractions and focus on God. -humble ourselves before God -pray with true repentance. -pray out of love and faith in God -pray according to God’s will -pray in every situation! God is always there! -Ask the Holy Spirit to help us pray!

17. TO MEMORIZE… One is God, the Father of all. One is His Son, Jesus Christ, the Word, who came in the flesh, died and rose from the dead on the third day, and raised us together, in Him. One is the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, who proceeds from the Father; He sanctifies all creation and teaches us to worship the Holy Trinity, one Triune who is one in essence and one in nature. We praise Him and bless Him forever. Amen