A Prayer When You Are Tempted to Think Too Highly of Yourself - Your Daily Prayer - April 21

A Prayer When You Are Tempted to Think Too Highly of Yourself
By Sophia Bricker

Bible Reading:
“To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ 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. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (Luke 18:9-14, NIV).

Listen or Read Below:

Towering ceilings, intricately crafted stained-glass windows, and Gothic-style architecture provide the backdrop for a key scene in Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The hunted Romani girl, Esmeralda, has received the church's protection and is temporarily safe from Frollo’s intentions. Instead of supplicating God for her own requests, though, she begins to pray for her people, the despised outcasts of the city. 

Her words in the song “God Help the Outcasts” contrast with those of the other attendees at the church. As she is sheltering in the church and praying for the oppressed, the free people of the city are making selfish requests. They want more wealth, more fame. And Frollo, a supposed man of God, stands with lust swirling in his heart, declaring that he is grateful that he is more righteous than those around him. 

A humble prayer contrasted with the words of a haughty hypocrite. Sound familiar?

In today's passage, we find a similar contrast. The tax collector already had a poor reputation. As we know from other verses in the Gospel accounts, people in this line of work were lumped together with “sinners” and perceived as morally corrupt (Matthew 9:10-11). Yet, notably, many of these men became faithful followers of Jesus, including Levi (Matthew) and Zacchaeus (Mark 2:13-14 and Luke 19:1-10). The Lord could likely have had these men in mind when He spoke this parable. 

Through his actions, the tax collector demonstrated a keen awareness of his need for grace. He did not presume to stand close to God's presence, indicating that he knew he was already spiritually far from God. And he stood with head bowed, as a sign of humility. Such a simple prayer he uttered, yet it was overflowing with faith. 

The Pharisee, on the other hand, perceived himself as better than others. Jesus specified that this man “stood by himself,” indicating he was talking more to himself than to God (Luke 18:11). Though he was just as much in need of grace as the tax collector, he was blinded to this need by pride. As a result, he moved further away from salvation and sinned through his self-righteous attitude. 

Scripture warns us against pride. As the Apostle Paul later wrote in his letter to the Romans, “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you” (Romans 12:3, NIV). Whenever we are tempted to follow in the footsteps of Frollo or the Pharisee in the parable, we should remind ourselves of the price Jesus paid for our costly sins. Everyone of us is guilty in the eyes of God, and none has escaped the blemish of sin (Romans 3:10-12). 

We are blessed when we take the lower path, recognizing our own stained hands rather than raising a finger at others. And it is there, in that place of brokenness, that our Savior meets us and lifts our bowed heads, covering our mark of sin with His nail-scarred hands.  

Let’s Pray:

Holy God, You see and know all. Even when I close myself off to others and turn away from myself, You still see every thought that goes through my head. So, every prideful notion that enters and roots itself in my heart is visible to You. Forgive me for the times I have taken pride in religious deeds or in my church affiliation. Clear from my heart and mind any growth of sin that tempts me to look down upon others.

Whenever I want to sit in the seat of judgment, may I remember the great height from which I have fallen and that I am only a child of God because of Your grace. I lay down my pride here before You and ask: God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Share your reflections on today’s devotional in the Your Daily Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.

Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/dusanpetkovic 

Sophia Bricker is a writer. Her mission is to help others grow in their relationship with Jesus through thoughtful articles, devotionals, and stories. She completed a BA and MA in Christian ministry which included extensive study of the Bible and theology, as well as an MFA in creative writing. You can read her thoughts about literature and faith at The Cross, a Pen, and a Page Substack, or visit the discipleship-based site  Cultivate, where she writes with her sister.

Related Resource: A Prayer for When You Feel Spiritually Tired

There is a particular kind of exhaustion that has nothing to do with how much sleep you got last night. It's the weariness that settles into your soul when you've been going hard for a long time — when prayer feels hollow, worship feels distant, and you find yourself sitting in church thinking about everything except what's being said. If that's where you are tonight, this episode was written for you. If you like what you hear, follow Your Nightly Prayer on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!