We do not forgive ourselves; God forgives us. Repentance is far more than a surface-level "I'm sorry" or a spur-of-the-moment "pardon me." We can say, "Lord, pardon me," but without actual repentance, a change of heart, or a genuine turning away from sin, we are only pounding our gums. Repentance means changing one's mind and heart so that one lives differently. It is a deep sorrow for one's sins coupled with the desire to turn from them. As you repent, the Lord will bring you to a place where you feel His forgiveness and love for you. There is no greater gift that God has given us than Himself. Through Jesus' death on the cross, we have been given the opportunity to escape the wrath of God and be saved from eternal punishment in hell. Through faith in Jesus, we can have our sins forgiven and be welcomed into heaven when we die. Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, unless a man changes his mind about eating bread after tasting it, he will never truly eat bread. Nor will he ever eat bread again. The human mind is capable of believing anything it wants to believe, especially if that belief is easy to grasp or feels right. At first glance, it may appear that forgiveness and acceptance are readily available through prayer, but the deeper one goes into forgiving oneself, the harder it gets.