The Scriptures warn that God is not to be approached in a common or mindless manner. He is to be reverenced and respected as our mighty Creator, Sustainer, and Savior.

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector demonstrates how our attitude before God determines whether or not our prayers are accepted by God. The Pharisee boldly talked about how great he was, while "the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise 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, and he who humbles himself will be exalted" (Luke 18:13-14).

In Daniel chapter nine, the prophet is praying unto God regarding the return of the captives and the rebuilding of Jerusalem. One statement in his prayer has caught my attention. "O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies" (Daniel 9:18).

The Jews might have been God's chosen/covenant people, but they were in no position to make demands of God. Their sin had been so great that God had raised up the Babylonians to remove them from their homeland and destroy their Temple. They could not appeal to God on the basis of their righteous deeds because they had none!

However, the reality is that none of us, regardless of how good and faithful we have been, are in a position to approach God with any sense of merit of worth. In the words of Isaiah, "all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags" (Is. 64:6), or the words of Paul, "There is none righteous, no, not one" (Rom. 3:10). Until we see this, we are not seeing things the way they really are.

Let us learn to walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8), for there is no other way we can acceptably approach our God, even if we are His faithful children.