Not a conversation

 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ (Luke 18:10-12 ESV)
This statement by the Pharisee is not true prayer. He stands away, drawing attention to himself, and shows how stuck up he is by being stuck on all he does.  He "thanks" God for what he himself has done, and makes himself feel good by comparing to others.  He never asks for God's perspective, provision, protection, or guidance.  He is really talking to Himself.  Who are you talking to today?

Are we they?

 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt:(Luke 18:9 ESV)
Luke's transition to this next parable is interesting. Notice he does not say Jesus addressed the Pharisees, which he often did.  He does not want to leave out any of us who are not technically "Pharisees", but to whom this may apply.  Do I trust in myself, and therefore not pray continually?  Do I treat others as "less" spiritually, and pray as if they are the problem, not me?

Why to pray...

 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”(Luke 18:6-8 ESV)
Why take the time to pray to God?  Simply because He is God.  It is His character. Not only will he answer and give justice like the urighteous judge, He will do it because He is listening for his children to call out to Him; He gives good things to us: He is just and loving and merciful. If we truly believe all those things about Him, we will pray.

Keep knocking...

 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” (Luke 18:2-5 ESV)
In the picture Jesus uses here, this woman keeps knocking at the judge's door over and over again, asking for justice.  She has a just cause; she is going through the right channels; she just isn't getting any action; she is doing the right thing.  That's what we need to do; keep knocking on the door, pleading our case before God.  This unjust judge finally gives in, lest she knock the door down, and literally, "give him a black eye" or knock him upside his head.  Much of Jewish thinking of the time was to pray no more than three times a day; Jesus challenges that mindset. God wants to be bothered.

Not losing heart...

 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.(Luke 18:1 ESV)
This statement follows on the heels of some hard words Jesus had spoken about those who would be unprepared for His coming because they refused to hear God's words of warning.  But rather than be discouraged, we must keep on praying, keep on calling out to the God Who hears and cares. We must not give into the same "of-this-world thinking" that keeps them from seeing the eternal, and cling to the promise Paul did:  So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18 ESV)

Look for vultures...

 And they said to him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.” (Luke 17:37 ESV)
Jesus has just described the great separation - the taking away of people who refuse to enter His kingdom, who reject Him.  The disciples now ask Him where they go.  As He often does He uses a graphic picture to describe Death. It's where the corpses are; you will see the vultures flying around there.  That is where a rejection of the King, a refusal to enter the kingdom will get you - Death.

Gone

 Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.” (Luke 17:33-35 ESV)
There Jesus goes again, telling His disciples, and us "I tell you."  Listen up. When judgment comes, it will be no respecter of persons; it will divide through beds, workplaces and wherever you may be.  The dividing line is in the preceeding statement: Are you looking out only for yourself, what you want, or, are you giving your life over to Him?  Who are you living for?