Self-Reliance or Self-Denial

Self-Reliance or Self-Denial
Luke 16-20
“I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
There are always two questions we are confronted with when we pray. The first is, does God answer prayer? The second is, what prayers does he answer? We all struggle with prayer, for our prayers often seem ineffective, and we wonder whether God listens. In Luke 18, we find Jesus addressing the struggle we all face. Not only do we struggle to pray, but it often seems as if our prayers are ineffective. In verse 1, Jesus tells us a parable to encourage us in prayer. The phrase "lose heart" refers to one who has lost motivation and given up in prayer, for there are times when it seems as if our prayers go unanswered and, even more troubling, unheard! We pray continually and deeply for the issues we encounter that cause us distress, and yet heaven seems indifferent to our plight. In response, Jesus tells a parable. At first glance, it seems as if he is painting God as an unrighteous judge who cares little about the plight of the helpless widow. However, Christ is using the negative to point us to the positive. In the story, the widow continues to hound an unconcerned judge about her plight. But the widow’s persistence pays off: he finally listens and responds to her need. Thus, if the unrighteous and uncaring judge responds to the widow’s persistent plea, how much more quickly will God, who is righteous and caring, respond to those who cry out to him? God’s apparent indifference is merely that, "apparent." He does care, and he does respond to those who cry out to him. God is never indifferent.
This brings us to the next issue.  If our ineffectual prayer is not caused by God’s indifference, then what is the reason for our lack of seeing results in prayer?  Christ provides the answer: it is because we often ask with the wrong motivation and attitude.  Christ points to two individuals: the self-righteous Pharisee and the guilt- and sin-ridden publican.  The self-righteous did not see his need for God’s grace.  Like many people today, he felt his righteousness was enough to earn him heaven.  But his assurance and confidence were a false illusion.  For when we see no need for God’s grace, we are demonstrating the worst of all sins: the sin of self-worship, in which we take pride in ourselves and trust in ourselves rather than submit to God.
However, the tax collector had no such self-righteousness.  He only recognized his extreme unworthiness of salvation.  This brings us to the heart of prayer.  Prayer is not affirming what we think we deserve from God, it is the deep awareness that we deserve nothing and we are completely reliant upon him.  Effective prayer begins with the recognition of our spiritual bankruptcy and need for grace.  The ultimate lie of Satan and the ultimate self-deception is when we think we are worthy of eternal life.  The more righteous and worthy of heaven we think we are, the more self-deceived we become.  In the end, we usurp God by placing ourselves upon the throne of our self-destiny.  Prayer begins by recognizing we deserve nothing from God, and we can only rest in his grace.  Faith is not trusting in ourselves but trusting solely in God. The starting point of effective prayer is the abandonment of self-righteousness and the cry for God’s grace and mercy. That is a prayer he will always answer.