God, be merciful to me, a sinner. (Bow)
Publican - tax collector; in the 1st century the word was almost equivalent to "sinner."
Be with me - be with me.
As an example of true prayer, these words were given in His parable by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself:
He also spoke to some who were confident in themselves that they were righteous, and humiliated others, the following parable:
Two people entered the church to pray: one was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed to himself like this: God! I thank You that I am not like other people, robbers, offenders, adulterers, or like this publican: I fast twice a week, I give a tenth of everything I acquire. The publican, standing in the distance, did not even dare to raise his eyes to heaven; but hitting himself on the chest, he said: God! Be merciful to me, a sinner! I tell you that this one went to his house justified more than the other: for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted (Luke 18:9-14).
+ If we have good deeds, they are our debt to God, and not merit; and our sins are incomparably greater than our good deeds, and only God’s mercy can cover our unworthiness: God, be merciful to me, a sinner. According to Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov, “even if someone stood at the very height of virtues, if he does not pray as a sinner, his prayer is rejected by God.” In prayer you need to have a repentant and humble heart, asking and crying.
“If we pray with humility, if we beat ourselves on the chest, like the publican, if we say, like him, the words: be merciful to me, a sinner, then we will receive everything. True, we are not publicans; but we have other sins, no less than his sins. Don’t tell me that you are sinful in small ways: every sinful deed is the same in its essence. The one who killed a husband and the one who killed a child are equally called a murderer... We partake of the Terrible Mysteries unworthily, we envy, we slander, and some of us often get drunk. Each of these deeds in itself is enough to deprive us of the Kingdom of Heaven; and if they join together, what excuse can we have?”
Saint John Chrysostom
“What is the most important way to retain grace in the soul? Humility. What is the main reason for dismissal? From some movement of pride, conceit and arrogance. As soon as she senses this bad smell of pride inside, she immediately leaves.”
Saint Theophan the Recluse