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

How important prayer is boys and girls! There is no hope of heaven for someone who does not pray. We can obtain salvation ONLY by asking God! Matthew 7:7-11.

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved," Romans 10:13.

Let us go a little further in this matter.

How a person prays tell us much about them!

In the case of the Pharisee . . . .

The Pharisee thought little of God. See how he addresses God! "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, "God . . . . " There is not much reverence in such a beginning! No expression of fear, or of love or any awareness of the majesty of the person he addressed!

The Pharisee thought much of himself! "God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican," verse 11.

How blind he was to God's glory when he speaks thus of himself so!

How different was Paul's view of himself, 1 Corinthians 15:10.

The Publican had a very different attitude.

He thought much of God but little of himself! "And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner," verse 13.

Note his attitude toward the Lord. " . . standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven."

Note his view of himself. " . . . smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner." Greek 'THE sinner.'

The Saviour says that God heard his prayer and saved him. "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other," verse 14. He was set free from from his guilt and counted righteous by God. He was seen by God as 'just if he had never sinned!'