"Be unceasing in prayer. Always be thankful; for this is the Lord's will concerning you in Christ Jesus." I Thessalonians 5:16 (Weymouth) The advanced Christian is to be so fully in accord with the Father and the Son, that his entire life will be in an attitude of prayer. When he sins, his tender conscience will feel the guilt of sin almost immediately, and he will quickly seek forgiveness. Certainly, by the end of each day, we should recognize and ask forgiveness for our transgressions. However in addition to an alertness to sin, we should always be thankful for the Lord's mercies and for His direction in all of our life's affairs. "In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:6 (KJV)
Jesus taught His Apostles how to pray, "Forgive us our debts as we ourselves have forgiven our debtors…but if you do not forgive men, your Father will not forgive your trespasses either." Matthew 6:12, 15 (Moffatt) We learn to keep track of our blemishes, in order to fight against them and continually remind us of our dependence upon the merit of our Savior's blood. We are thereby assisted in being merciful, compassionate and generous toward others in their shortcomings.
We need not ask forgiveness in every prayer; however, we should always pray in and through our Savior’s name. “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” John 14:13,14.
