We struggle in prayer and we struggle to pray--at least occasionally. But, of course, that doesn't mean we are never to aim for spiritual maturity. Our prayer struggles certainly don't give us license to avoid praying for Divine forgiveness upon us when we sin.
Poured out prayer will often lead to the confession of our sins to God. As we delve more and more into Scripture---and as we pray under the promptings of the Holy Spirit---we become painfully aware of sinful thoughts and forms of conduct which need to be forgiven. We recognize the ways in which others have sinned against us, and we are informed by the Holy Spirit as to our own offenses against fellow human beings and God.
We Christians are aware of the universal reality of sin. The prophet Daniel prayed for the sinful nation as well as for himself: "O Lord, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him."--Dan.8:8-9 (NKJV).
Prayer meetings and church worship services are opportunities for the congregation's sins to be confessed to God. Of course, this confessing can easily be done in a season of silent prayer; however, the entire community of God's people is to be reminded that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom.3:23). We should pray for one another, bear one another's burdens, and be honest before God in disclosing the areas of our own life which need to be graciously forgiven by Him.
Such was the perspective of George Bergquist, an active member at the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC. President of the Couples Class in the 1950s, his opening and closing prayers for that class were collected and printed in a booklet 'Prayers for Life'. Observe the way Berquist identified himself with the transgressions and the 'littleness' of all God's people:
God, our Father in heaven, forgive us for being such reluctant pilgrims, little in almost everything but sin.
Our faith is little, for we pray too often about either trivialities or generalities, we are cautious of turning the specifics over to Thee and Thy mercy.
Our service is little, for we are quick with excuses. We are far more likely to say, 'No, not me', or 'I don't have the time', than we are to reply, 'Yes, Lord, I'll do it'. And this while we call ourselves followers of the Christ Who served all the way from Bethlehem to Calvary.
Our love is little, for we dole it out carefully, as though it were a limited and irreplaceable commodity, rather than a yeasty catalyst which grows only as it is given.
Our strength is little, for we are casual about Thy training rules, forgetful that we have been told, "Train yourself in godliness, for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and the life to come." [1 Tim.4:7b-8]
Forgive us all our littleness, O God. And replace in us the deathless faith, the constant service, the generous love, the tireless strength which befit those who seek to walk in the steps of the Christ Who is the perfect example of each. In His Name we pray. Amen.