“Forgive us our trespasses.” Real prayer can be painful. Like an argument with your spouse that moves gradually toward the conclusion that you owe him/her an apology, one of the ingredients of a quality relationship with God is the confession of sin. We need to admit wrong, for our own good. Prayer, after all, is the currency of relationship. Repressed issues don’t go away. They get worse. So even when I am unaware of my selfishness or stubbornness (I often am), the bible teaches me to to pray, “Search me, O God. . .see if there is any offensive way in me” (Psalm 139) “Jesus warned his disciples not to pray like hypocrites. . .instead, they should go into a closet. . .(a place) that fosters complete honesty with God” (Yancey) Get alone! Get honest! These are the Lord’s instructions to those of us who want a quality relationship with Him.
