Context: prayer…pride vs. intimacy with God, vain repetition vs. intimacy

Forgive: to dismiss; to let go from one’s power; to release a debt; to give up, keep no longer; to pardon; to relax

Consider: Must someone ask to be forgiven to be forgiven? Must one admit wrong to be forgiven?

Visitor watches old farmer plow with mule. Says, “I don’t like to tell you how to run your business, but you could save yourself a lot of work by saying, ‘Gee’ and ‘Haw’ to that mule instead of just tugging on those lines.” Sweating heavily, farmer says, “Reckon you’re right, but this animal kicked me five years ago and I ain’t spoke to him since.” Moral: A grudge is harder on the one who holds it than the one it is held against.