Lord, help us to see ourselves when we pray.

⁹  Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: ¹⁰  “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. ¹¹  The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don’t cheat, I don’t sin, and I don’t commit adultery. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! ¹²  I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’ ¹³  “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ ¹⁴  I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Luke 18:9-14 (NLT2)