Day 17 - Lent 2026

Embracing Surrender and Repentance

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

As we prepared for this devotion, we asked ourselves, "What does it mean to truly surrender?" In today's scripture, Jesus told the parable of The Tax Collector and The Pharisee. The Tax Collector's prayer came from a posture of total arrogance. The Pharisee's prayer came from a posture of great humility.

As we embrace surrender and repentance, The Lord wants us to come just as we are: raw, with all of our flaws and imperfections for He already knows the matters of our hearts, ready to meet us at the point of our needs. Most importantly, when we enter into His presence, let us come with a heart of reverence and humility, for those who humble themselves will be exalted.(v.18)

Let us pray:

Lord God, as we enter into your throne room of grace and mercy, help us to decrease so that you  may increase. Help us to release our need to control the outcome, placing all of our trust and faith in you. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

SUBMITTED BY DEACONS STEVE AND TANYA MCCALLUM