Many – if not most – Christians pray. In extremis, many non-religious people also pray. But why do we pray? We may pray out of a sense of desperation, or from a sense of Christian duty, or because we want to change the outcome of a situation. It seems that the desire or need to pray is fairly primal.

In this week’s Gospel reading from Luke, Jesus tells a parable about the contrasting prayers of two people. One of the people is deeply religious and appears to live a good life. His lengthy prayer reminds God of his devotion to following God’s ways. The second person prays a short prayer from the heart, acknowledging his brokenness and need for God’s help to turn his life around.

One prayer is focused on following rules while the other is wanting to restore relationship with God. One prayer comes from a place of self-confidence while the other is a cry for help and mercy. Which of these approaches does Jesus commend? Which approach is more typical of your prayer life?

Download and read the whole message here: Relationship not rules