"Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican."

Today, we are going to begin considering the praying of the Pharisee and Publican. Please remember that the chief purpose of the temple was prayer.

Sacrifices were offered there in abundance but prayer was the chief function in the temple! Hear the Saviour's own words on this matter. "It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves," Luke 19:46.

It must be said that the chief part of the worship of God is prayer. While we gather in God's house we ought to do so in a spirit of prayer. We ought to pray as we sing, as the minister prays, as we listen to the preaching of the God's Word!

When a person prays it tells us that they believe that God exists.

If a person prays he indicates an awareness of his obligation to honour God and acknowledge Him. "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is," Hebrews 11:6.

Again, if a person prays, it indicates that he hopes to obtain from God that which he asks for. " . . . . . and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him," Hebrews 11:6.

If, on the other hand, a person does not pray it may be for a number of reasons.

It is because that person does not believe there is a God! "The fool (person without any sense) hath said in his heart, There is no God," Psalm 14:1.

Many who might not go so far as to deny the existence of God but they do not believe that there is any benefit in praying; it is a waste of time because God does not hear and will not answer. God is not worth speaking to!! That person has believed the devil's lie! "And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever," 1 Chron 28:9.