The Gift of the Right Prayer Posture | Rev. Paul Lawler

What if the biggest obstacle to your prayer life isn’t distraction—but posture? Jesus’ parable in Luke (chapter 18, verses 10 through 14) exposes how comparison and self-righteousness hollow out prayer, and why mercy is where real prayer begins.

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Chapters

• 0:24 Opening Prayer and Scripture Reading
• 30:29 A Call to Action and Confession
• 32:27 Believing for Big Things in Prayer
• 33:44 Closing Prayer and Reflection

Transcript

[0:17] In reverence for the gospel of our Lord, please stand for the reading of Luke 18, 10-14.

[0:24] Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus, God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get. But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted. This is the word of God for the people of God.

[1:17] Amen and amen. I greet you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, as we begin this new year as a faith family. We welcome you, particularly if you are a guest. My name is Paul Lawler. I have the honor of serving as the senior pastor of Christ Methodist. Delighted that you're here today. So, we're going to begin this morning by my having the opportunity to talk with you about the gift of the right prayer posture.

[1:47] Properly understood, prayer is an aggressive act. We often don't think of it that way, but we prayed just a moment ago, His kingdom come, His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. And when you pray a prayer like that, you are praying into displacing and uprooting temporal kingdoms as well as human will and replacing it with the will of God and the ushering forth of the kingdom. The Lord's Prayer itself implies a sense of hostility between the two kingdoms. In fact, Jesus taught us how to pray in many places, not only in the Lord's Prayer, but even when he expressed, ask and it shall be given to you, seek and you shall find, knock and the door it shall be opened, signifies that you as a believer are not a passive participant in the kingdom of God. In fact, when we study the prayers of the New Testament, which we will cover a part of those during this series, we find that the majority of the prayers expressed in the Bible really are prayers that are expressed on war footing in God's kingdom. And so I remember a number of years ago, and I'll make reference to this several times in our series.

[3:11] The early years when I was exposed to Christians in Asia who were persecuted, but yet so diligent about winning their village to Christ or winning their nation to Christ, and I would notice the difference of how they prayed.

[3:28] Come together in gatherings, praying for their village to know Christ or praying for their community to know Jesus. And there was a militancy in their prayers. And it was so different from what I had experienced as a young pastor, where oftentimes we would open meetings, O Lord, be with us. And I would hear these sisters and brothers go to war, praying passionately, fervently for God to make his kingdom known in their midst, in their community, in their village. And it was such a contrast that it rattled me. Let me give you a quote from Chris Teagreen. He writes these words, somehow we've got the wrong impression that the tone of the Bible is calm and sedate. We often hear the voice of God in scripture as a deep baritone and refined British accent. Centuries of King James formality and decades of cinematic artistry have conditioned us to assume civility in all biblical conversations.

[4:29] But God is not a baritone, and Jesus' disciples were not British actors. The voices of the Bible range from boisterous shouts to gentle whispers, and they're filled with excitement, agony, rage, despair, and wild celebration, sometimes in embarrassing extremes. And so, beginning today, we're going to spend four weeks as we plant the seeds for experiencing a new year as a faith family, talking about prayer. And we're going to address four issues together. Beginning today, we're going to talk about the gift of the right posture in prayer. Next week, we will talk about why praying scriptural prayers matters. In fact, I'm getting ahead of myself. You want to see your prayer life empowered? Pray the prayers of the Bible into your circumstance.

[5:21] Third, we're going to talk about the nature of God in prayer. Understanding God's nature fuels your prayer life. And then we'll close the series out by addressing the topic, victorious prayers in dark times. And so today we're going to talk about the gift of the right prayer posture. I'm going to revisit a parable that we've taught on before. Familiar to you because I taught it a couple of years ago, but I've reformatted it for the series that we're engaging in beginning today. And so based upon the Word of God that was read by our young adult pastor, we're going to begin by looking at deceptions to guard against when we pray. Here's the first one. Deception through comparison. Listen to these words of Jesus as he tells this parable. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus, God, I thank you that I am not like other people.

[6:27] And so he's coming before the throne, and he's praying and saying, God, I'm not like others. And so we are aware that what's happening here is he's using human beings as his standard of righteousness. First of all, the statement is wildly inaccurate.

[6:50] And what can make it all the more deceptive is that it is a spiritualized inaccuracy. If we compare ourselves with others, we'll always find somebody who is worse. And first of all, it's a deceptive way to come before God's throne and to pray and to see God move and work through your prayer life. Secondly, we see deception through self-righteousness. In fact, I even heard Amber, as she read the text this morning, place appropriate emphasis on the deception. because this Pharisee prays, I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all I get. In other words, if you study the parable, you find that no less than five times he uses the word I. God, I thank you. I am not like other men. I fast. I give tithes. And it's very clear that he's trusting in himself and his own righteousness. And loved ones, I think most of us within the sound of my voice understand biblically that one cannot trust oneself for one's standard of righteousness before a holy God.

[8:14] But we recognize that while there are these avenues of deception, verse 9 explains not only what Jesus did when he's sharing this parable, but verse 9 shares with us why Jesus shared this parable. He says in verse 9, he told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and that out of that righteousness treated others with contempt. Let's define the word contempt. Here it is. The feeling that a person or a thing is beneath consideration, worthless, or deserving scorn.

[8:59] I remember a couple of episodes where I've witnessed this. I have to guard my own heart as well, but I remember in a church that I had served previously when we began an inner city ministry, I remember a lady who meant well, but she made an observation about a woman who was very poor, and she had many children. And she said with a flair of contempt for the fact that she was poor and had many children, she spoke down to her as if because she was upper middle class and had more privileges, that somehow she had the authority to look down upon her with scorn. Or I think about another episode where I had an Iraqi war veteran in the church that had been exposed to chemical agents in the first war in Iraq, and he was suffering. He had blisters that would break out on his skin. He did not feel normal.

[10:20] And I was also aware he abused alcohol at times, and we were laboring to minister to him. We had a men's conference in which we were getting on a bus and going to another location. As the senior pastor, I was completely unaware that he had gotten on the bus inebriated. I was unaware. No one slipped me a note. No one said, hey, I think Don has had one too many, maybe 10 too many. And we get to the venue, and I sit down, and suddenly a person in the host church comes to me and says, hey, you've got a problem. And I said, okay. And so I began to listen, and he began to share with me that one of the members of our congregation was inebriated. I said, I was not aware of this. And he began to say in a very snod way, so tell me, what are you running? A recovery ministry? A recovery ministry? To which I paused for a moment, thinking, Jesus, how would you respond? And I looked at him and said, why, yes. Yes, I am. We are running a recovery ministry.

[11:49] But I was mindful that in that moment, I was being addressed in a spirit of contempt, scorn, looked down upon, simply because there was a person among us that was struggling. And I'm mindful that as we read this word this morning, that Jesus talks about there are some who trust in themselves, that they are righteous and can treat others with contempt. I'm aware that vulnerability exists in me, and that vulnerability exists in all of us as fallen human beings. And Jesus gives us life-giving truths to consider here that empower our prayer life, loved ones. So look with me, verse 13. The Bible says, but the tax collector, some of your Bibles call him a publican, the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast saying, God be merciful to me, a sinner. Now, there's some things here we need to point out.

[12:55] First of all, he recognized that he was unworthy because the word tells us that there are symptoms that are showing up that personify this reality. Listen, he's standing far off. He's unworthy even to get near. He would not lift up his head. He would not even lift his eyes to heaven. And so this is not rooted in shame in some form in his life. No, this is rooted in reverence for a holy and mighty God. And so he recognized he's unworthy. And let us validate the truth that in reality, ultimately, none of us are worthy.

[13:35] But this brother recognizes that. Secondly, he not only recognized he was unworthy before a holy God, he was repentant. When we read this phrase, he beat his breast. This is a reference to a posture of repentance before God. We're aware of Jesus' crucifixion.

[13:58] There's an example of this in Luke 22. All the crowds that assembled for the spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, they returned home beating their breasts. They were repenting. They were feeling grief and disappointment and woe in light of the crucifixion of Jesus. And so while this is not a common action, it's an expression that's usually figurative, and it's an idiom which means to display one's grief, remorse, repentance in a loud and a demonstrative manner. And so in light of what we see emerging here, we recognize that he was repentant. He also, thirdly, recognized that he was a sinner. In other words, if there ever was a sinner, he's saying, I am one. And so he says the words, God be merciful to me, a sinner. And so he's owning it. He's coming before the throne of God. And you're going to see in a moment his prayers are in power because he's coming to God honestly, real, transparently. And then fourth.

[15:10] He asks for God's mercy. And I remind you, mercy is when we do not get what we deserve. He recognizes he deserves the judgment of God. However, he's saying, God, be merciful to me. Now, church, when you come before God in repentance, recognizing you're a sinner, asking for God's mercy, this empowers your prayer life. If you say, Pastor Paul, why do you say that? Well, I think most of you have it figured out already, but let's talk about just prayer for a moment and maybe talk about it in a unique way. You ever approached a Coke machine that won't work? You put the money in, but the Coke doesn't come out, like you're buying a bottle or a can of Coke, or it's just me, but anyway...

[16:01] You know, you get frustrated. Okay, I do this. I'm supposed to get—I mean, sometimes you use your debit card nowadays or whatever, and the machine's not working. You get frustrated. You want to kick the machine. I mean, shake it. What's wrong? For some of us in this, the sound of my voice, it's a picture of your prayer life, is that you've brought things to God. You're like, God, I prayed about this, but nothing seems to be happening. And I want to submit to you, it does not have to be this way. It's not the way God designed prayer. First of all, it's not transactional. But let's pretend for a moment the following. Let's pretend that somebody, and this will be hypothetical, puts $1 billion in your checking account, your bank account.

[16:52] Everybody's going, that's a fantasy. That's true. All right. But but somebody puts a billion dollars in your bank account. All right. Now, here's one provision. You cannot transfer the money to purchase anything electronically. And the only way to access the account is you have to go old school. You have to literally write a check. And there's some persons in the sound of my voice that they don't write checks. Okay, it's just everything's electronic. It's all handled with apps and beyond. But you've got to go old school. The only way you can access it is by writing a check.

[17:36] Well, when it comes to prayer and a God who has infinite ability, you've got to go old school.

[17:47] And the way you go old school is listen to what God teaches us about prayer. This won't be on the screen. But first of all, God says this in Psalm 66, 18. If I regard iniquity in my heart, God will not hear me. Notice the conditional clause. Notice the if. And notice how it parallels what's happening to the publican in the story. He's coming before God, not regarding iniquity, not regarding sin in his heart, not holding on to it, not going, God, I know that this part of my life is not in your will, or this is disobedient, and he's not holding back. The publican is saying, okay, God, I repent. God, I'm a sinner. I recognize I've missed the mark, I ask you for mercy. And so what the psalmist tells us is if that prayer has conditions, if I regard sin, if I'm going to hold on to it, I'm not going to confess, I'm not going to repent, I'm not going to ask for God's mercy, then what happens is my prayer life shuts down. It's ineffective.

[19:03] And this isn't said once in Scripture. This is all over Scripture. Many of us love 2 Chronicles 7.14. We quote it, but again, hear the condition. If my people, if my people humble themselves, seek my face, turn from twisting things, wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven. Again, hear the conditional clause. If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, seek my face, turn from twisting things, turn from wicked ways, then I will hear.

[19:45] Or think about the condition that Jesus taught us in the Lord's Prayer, and there are many people in Christian history who would say we shouldn't stop praying the last verse of the Lord's Prayer. We should also pray into verses 14 and 15. Now, let me explain why. Because in the Lord's Prayer, we're taught to pray, forgive us of our sins as or in the same way that we forgive the sins of others. And Jesus, for greater emphasis, added on the end of that in verses 14 through 15 in chapter 6, for if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father in heaven will not forgive yours. It's conditional. Huh, that's heavy.

[20:40] But here's the point. What we see happening in the publican is that he's not regarding iniquity in his own heart. He's letting go and letting God by coming before God in a repentant spirit. He's coming before God, admitting, owning the reality that he too is a sinner, and coming before God, trusting in his mercy. Now, notice the contrast. The Pharisee talks to himself about himself as he thinks he's praying. But the publican prays to God, and hear this, loved ones, he was heard.

[21:22] And that changes everything. The Pharisee could see the sins of others, but not his own sins. While the publican concentrated on his own needs, and he admitted them openly before God. The Pharisee was boasting.

[21:36] The publican was praying. The Pharisee went home a worse man than when he had come. The publican went home forgiven and free. The Pharisee was using other people as his standard of righteousness. The publican used God as his standard of righteousness. Loved ones, the one qualification for salvation is to know that you're a sinner in need of a Savior. And the publican realized he had to throw himself on the mercy of God for forgiveness. And we recognize that it is necessary for sinners to throw themselves on the mercy of God for forgiveness. The Pharisee was not seeking to be justified before God because he can't see that he has any need to be justified before God. The one qualification for salvation is to be a sinner and know it. And the person who thinks himself as himself as righteous never gets in line before the gate of mercy that we see the publican getting in line and receiving and knowing new life. And therefore, in the process, his prayers are heard while the Pharisees' prayers are hindered.

[22:54] Listen to verse 14. Jesus said this, I tell you, this man, he's referring to the publican, went down to his house justified rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted. I know I've taught on this multiple times, and I'm sure you've committed it to memory, but that word justified is a powerful New Testament word. It literally means declared righteous.

[23:22] It's a legal term that means the evidence of all past sin has been destroyed, and there is no record that we have ever sinned. That's the power of what God does in Jesus Christ when a man or a woman turns to Christ in faith, in repentance, acknowledging that they are a sinner, and acknowledging their need for the mercy of God. And that means that God keeps no record of one's sins. This is why, as we've learned recently, the word blessed means, also translates, the favor of God rests upon a person like this, which is why the psalmist writes in Psalm 32, favored is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Favored is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity. And a part of that blessing, a part of that favor, is that that man or woman's prayer life has been empowered. God hears them when they're interceding, and he puts into our account the righteousness of Jesus Christ himself, which is why Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5.21, for our sake, He, God, made him to be sin who knew no sin that in him, that is in Jesus, we might become the righteousness of God. And all this, loved ones.

[24:46] Comes from the mercy of God, not by our own merits, as we're justified by faith in the person of Jesus Christ. And as Paul writes, therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Another way of translating that is because you are at peace with God. You have access to God. Nothing in my hands I bring. Only to the cross I cling.

[25:21] It was one of the first prayer summits I had ever been a part of. And the catalyst for why I even stepped into what a prayer summit gathering was is because one day I was walking across a street or down a street in Huntsdale, Alabama, and I saw a pastor coming. And there was another pastor coming this way. And I watched this pastor jump to the other side of the street so he wouldn't have to speak to that pastor. And the Lord quickened my heart. Said, Paul, there'll never be revival in this city when there's such division among my people.

[26:07] I've always had, I can't explain it, from the time I came to know Jesus, I've always had a heart for revival. I can't really explain that rationally. It's just been there, just to see God's people renewed.

[26:27] And so I began to go to pastors individually all over the city. I was pastoring a little storefront church plant, and I'm going to pastors who are pastoring thousands.

[26:41] And I'm asking, hey, do you think you would be open to maybe a year from now, all the pastors of the city coming together to pray? And I did that repeatedly for over a year. And at the conclusion of that time, we all gathered at a camp outside of Huntsville, and we stayed together four days praying. That sounds like a nightmare to some of you, but for four days, we prayed. And I would say to you, loved ones, it went quickly. But on the fourth day, there was a pastor who spoke up and said, hey, guys, this is going to sound very unusual, but, you know, there's a lot of first-generation wealth in the city as people have developed new software and different technologies. And with that, there are people in my church who have come to me privately who are addicted to cocaine. And there were other pastors who said they were seeing the same thing. And I had seen the same thing in the little church that I pastored at that time.

[28:05] And so we had been praying together for four days, and we went into a prayer time about the cocaine addiction in our city, and for God to deliver people, and for God to dry up the source and sources of the flow of cocaine into the city. Now, loved ones, I can't put into words adequately what happened in that prayer time. All I can say is that as we began to pray into this problem, the Holy Spirit came and intensified our prayers.

[28:47] That room, that little conference room, became like a birthing room. You could sense as we were praying that something palpable was happening. There was unity in that room. All through the week, there had been pastors forgiving one another, reconciling with one another, Baptist pastors forgiving Pentecostal pastors for the way some of their theology had come out, or at least they hadn't understood it, and then Pentecostal pastors forgiving Baptist pastors for things that had been said, African-American pastors forgiving white pastors, white pastors forgiving African-American pastors. There'd been a lot of forgiveness flowing in the room, and there was unity in our prayers. But the Spirit's anointing upon the prayers on this fourth day was extraordinary.

[29:48] And we all packed our bags and went home. But next week, headline in the Huntsville Times. Major cocaine network exposed and busted. The police went to serve a warrant at a house, but they accidentally knocked at the wrong door. And in the process, an entire network of cocaine distribution in the city was exposed. Dozens of people went to prison. I know, just a coincidence, right?

[30:32] It was in that season that I got a phone call at 10 o'clock at night from a man in our church. And asked if I could talk with him down at the church. I said, okay. And we sat in our little worship center. This was a man who was very successful. And he began to confess, Pastor, I'm addicted to cocaine and I need help. I'm going to lose everything if something doesn't change. And after we talked for about an hour, I laid hands on him And I prayed for him And his deliverance, Now I want you to know We were prepared to put him in a treatment program And I want you to know God doesn't always work this way But that night God set him free.

[31:30] Why is your pastor telling you these stories? Because I want to challenge you individually, and I want to challenge us all as a church. I think our problems at times when we posture our hearts rightly before God in prayer, is that we fail to believe God for big things, and we don't serve a little God, loved ones. I remember a lady in a church one time said, Pastor, I only pray to God about big things, not little things. To which I quickly said, to God, everything's a little thing. He is God. And I want to remind you of that. And I want to encourage you. I want to edify you in the Lord. To believe him for big things. He is a big God.

[32:27] To the glory of the Father and the glory of the Son. And to the glory of the Holy Spirit who empowers us to live into these things. In Jesus' name, amen. Let's pray.

[32:42] So, Father, all over this sanctuary, I'm keenly aware there are persons carrying burdens.

[32:53] There are problems and complexities that are infinitely bigger than who we are as individuals. There are families that have children and grandchildren that are far from you, that you desire to bring home.

[33:13] And I pray, God, that 2026 would be a year where we individually and collectively, as a faith family, posture our lives as prayer warriors like never before. That, Lord, we would witness temporal things, human things, become uprooted

[33:39] and displaced and replaced by the kingdom of God for the glory of God. This we pray in the name and in the power of Jesus Christ. Amen.