Luke 18: 9-14
The Bible teaches us in this chapter through parables the story of two men, one was a Pharisee, and the other publican, both had different behaviors, obviously one had nothing to do with the other.
The text says that the two men went up to the temple to pray, the Pharisee, standing up, prayed with himself in this way: God, I thank you because I am not like other men, thieves, unjust, adulterers, or even like this publicano ... but the publican, being far away, did not even want to raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his chest, saying: God, be merciful to me, sinner ...
Humility has much to do with what is called the son of God, because Jesus himself has much to say about humility, it is not strange that it was the sin of pride that caused the fall of humanity.
The true recognition and exaltation that God gives will come to those who least expect and seek it.
It is notorious that a man of God, never exalts himself for what he does, before he recognizes that everything he does, is by the grace of God,
Reason why the boasting and exaltation that the Pharisee does about his performance leaves much to be desired before God and men, but the performance of the publican is worthy to imitate, in addition that touched the heart of God, then, he felt sinful , he felt he did not deserve the grace, nor the forgiveness of God, and although both prayed to God, each prayer had a perspective, had a direction, had an end.
Not all prayer is genuine, Jesus also corrected the mistaken notion that justice is a human achievement, rather than a gift of God's grace.
A religion based on a system of merits leads to religious pride, because this was what the religious of the moment, called Pharisees, continuously practiced;
whereas a person who dedicates himself to seek God in Spirit and truth, is a person who learns to change his heart, and learns that he deserves nothing, but God in his infinite mercy gives him grace to interpret the greatness of God and his unmerited favor for that reason he knows humility.