He who prays appeals to the Divine grace and mercy, as well as to the Divine power. It is a great favorite in the book of Psalms, and occurs again and again in the prayer of Solomon at the dedication of the Temple. But while prayer has a Godward side, it has a manward side also. So while we find the Bible teaching us that true prayer involves the recognition of certain things about our God, we find it also teaching us that true prayer involves the recognition of certain things about ourselves. Prayer implies the recognition of our own sinfulness.
Confession is an essential element in prayer.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. This all-important lesson of the need of humility in prayer is taught us by the word chalah . In most cases there is distinct reference to sin. The lesson taught us by this word is enforced throughout the whole Bible. Prayer implies the recognition of our need.