Adam and Eve’s sinful disobedience broke humanity’s relationship with God, and sin-ridden humanity was reconciled to God through the atoning death of Jesus and his resurrection. Jesus removed our condemnation and offered us forgiveness through the shedding of his blood. Yet God calls us to repent of the personal sins and offenses that we commit, and that separate us from him. Through confession, we bring things that separate us from God into the light and place them in Christ’s purifying love. The fullest meaning of repentance involves a dual choice: to turn away from sin and to turn toward God. When we repent, moved by sorrow and remorse, we show not only a change of heart, mind, and behavior but a fidelity to God and the desire and intention to set aside sin and live by his commandments and standards. God’s forgiveness is inseparably linked with our repentance, “If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). This forgiveness brings to fullness in us the work of transformation and healing begun by our repentance. One of the classical definitions of prayer suggests that “prayer is lifting mind and heart to God.” Simple, clear, and accurate. Our problem is that we too seldom do this when we pray. Rather than lifting up to God what is on our minds and hearts, we treat God as someone from whom we need to hide the truth of our thoughts and feelings. Instead of pouring out our minds and hearts, we tell God what we think God wants to hear – not the murderous thoughts, desire for vengeance, or our disappointment with him. As Kathleen Norris writes, “You come to the Bible’s great `book of praises’ through all the moods and conditions of life, and while you feel like hell, you sing anyway. To your surprise, you will find that the Psalms do not deny your true feelings but allow you to reflect them right in front of God and everyone.”