OUR DAILY BREAD : PRAYER CIRCLES

[cimi]

January 27
Tuesday


PRAYER
CIRCLES

READ:
Luke 18:9-18
_____________________________________

Everyone who exalts
himself will be
humbled.
__Luke 18:14
____________________________________

Around the circle the 6th-grade girls went, taking turns praying for each other in the Bible-study group. "Father in heaven," Anna prayed, "please help Tonya not to be so boy-crazy." Tonya added with a giggle, "And help anna to stop acting so horrible in school and bothering other kids." Then Talia prayed, "Lord, help Tonya to listen to her mother instead of always talking back."

Although the requests were real, the girls seemed to enjoy teasing their friends by pointing out their flaws ins front of the others instead of caring about their need for God's help. Their group leader reminded them about the seriousness of talking to almighty God and the importance of evaluating their own hearts.

If we use prayer to point out the faults of others while ignoring our own, we're like the Pharisee in Jesus' parable. He prayed, "God, I thank You that I am not like other men--extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector" (Luke 18:11). Instead, were to be like the man who asked God to be merciful to him, "a sinner" (v.13).

Let's be careful not to let our prayers become a listing of others' flaws. The kind of prayer God desires flows out of a humble evaluation of our own sinful hearts. __Anne Cetas
_____________________________________________________________

```````````````````Lord, teach us how to pray aright,``````````````
```````````````````````Oh, lead us in Your way;`````````````````
```````````````````Humbly we bow in Your pure light;`````````````
`````````````````Lord, teach us how to pray. __Anon.`````````````
_____________________________________________________________

The highest form of prayer
comes from the depths of a humble heart.

****************Today's Bible Reading __ Luke 18:9-14************

9 Also He spoke this
parable to some who trusted
in themselves that they
were righteous, and
despised others: 10 "Two
men went up to the temple
to pray, one a Pharisee and
the other a tax collector.

11 The Pharisee stood and
prayed thus with himself,
'God, I thank You that I am
not like other men--
extortioners, unjust,
adulterers, or even as this
tax collector. 12 I fast twice
a week; I give tithes of all
that I possess.'

13 "And the tax collector,
standing afar off, would not
so much as raise his eyes to
heaven, but beat his breast,
saying, 'God, be merciful to
me a sinner!'

14 "I tell you, this man
went down to his house
justified rather than the
other; for everyone who
exalts himself will be
humbled, and he who
humbles himself will be
exalted."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

IN this parable, Jesus deliberately used two different people on both
sides of the social and religious divide to illustrate His point. Pious
and religious, the Pharisees were meticulous in observing the law to
the letter, especially tithing and ritual purity (Matt 23:23-26). They
comprised the elite Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish judicial authority.
Tax collectors were deemed traitors because they collected taxes on behalf of the hated Romans, and often more taxes than they should
(Luke 3:13). They were despised by their fellow Jews and lumped
together with "sinners," unsavory characters of society (Matt.
9:10-11). Our Lord ate with them, much to the indignation of the
Pharisees (Matt. 9:10). Matthew, one of the 12 apostles, had been a
tax collector (Matt. 9:9). __Sim Kay Tee