Matthew 23:23-26

Jesus said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. It is these you ought to have practiced without neglecting the others. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel! Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.”

Prayer always purifies the heart. We are the better for praying, as moments of contact with God bring us into contact with the One who heals, strengthens and forgives us. Real religion is the religion of the heart - bringing us in touch with the heart of God, and then caring from the heart for others.