What if the prayer God always answers is the simplest one: “Be merciful to me”? We take a fresh look at Luke 18’s Pharisee and tax collector and discover a bigger, braver reading of mercy—one that refuses the lie of spiritual scorekeeping and invites us to live free from the need to earn love.
We start by slowing down. As the season turns toward longer nights, we trade the tyranny of the clock for the attentiveness of the Spirit. That shift reframes everything: fasting and tithing become practices of humility, not proof of superiority; prayer becomes communion, not performance. From there, we press into the scandal of grace. The Pharisee’s devotion is real. The tax collector’s harm is real. And yet mercy meets both, not because they’ve balanced the ledger, but because love moves first. It’s the same shock in the story of the prodigal and the older brother—offensive generosity that pulls us into a party we didn’t plan.
Forgiveness, though, is not denial. We name harm clearly, leave unsafe spaces, and get help when trauma sticks. A simple practice—letting some memories pass like white lines on the road—teaches us to stop feeding what doesn’t need to define us. When deeper wounds surface, therapy and the Holy Spirit work well together. Throughout, we return to surrender: choosing release over resentment, mercy over contempt, presence over hurry. And we ground it in action—stopping for the small needs in front of us, practicing interruptible love, and training our hearts to be ready to forgive.
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In the service of LOVE,
Pastors Dennis and Heather Drake
