Prayers: Sharing vs Slandering

Recently, my apartment mates and I have started meeting up three times a week to pray for one another and keep accountability. It's been a huge blessing. I'm not going to go as far to say that whoever is not doing this is wrong, but I really didn't know what I was missing out on and I'd never go back. In fact, the Lord says something very encouraging on this:

Matthew 18:19-20

“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

God has already answered our prayers and it's been great to grow closer to my room mates. However, as my title explains, I've been convicted about a different topic of prayer. I'm not saying the prayer meetings in my room consist of these things (at least to my knowledge), but it's something God has revealed in myself and others in past experiences.

What is prayer exactly? I'm not a theologian or bible scholar, but I think prayer is mostly dialogue with God. One particular prayer I'm thinking about is:

Matthew 26:39

And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will."

I think most of my prayers consist of first, acknowledging that God is God, something I still don't do enough of and can easily forget about. Secondly, formally telling God what is on my and what I would like to see in accordance with his will. And lastly, acknowledging that God is God and asking that his will be done over mine. Those are my more private prayers, at least.

What do I do when I'm with my friends? I do a lot more story telling. My friends don't know about me like God knows about me. I have to explain a lot of background to them and things are always told from my perspective. Sure, my prayer might be like, "I need prayer for this class. I'm struggling really hard but it's not going anywhere." But in the background story I talked about how much my professor sucked, how my TA needs to learn english and how my group members are stupid.

This is slander. My real prayer should have been in repentance to God for my callous heart and most likely laziness that led to my bad grades, asking for transformation only the Spirit can give.

And what's worse is that my friends probably don't think anything is wrong. They've hated a professor before and been frustrated with a TA or some nonchalant group members. They know where I'm coming from and they justify their sin with mine and I with theirs'. If anything, we should be praying for this professor, this TA, or these group members. Jesus tells us to pray for your enemies (not that they're actually your enemies or anything).

God will give us everything we ask in Jesus Christ's name. These are things of love and forgiveness, not hatred. "Father in heaven, let me forgive my professor, forgive my TA, and forgive my group members. Heal the anger in my heart because, like the wicked servant, I am still so hateful in light of how much I've been forgiven. Make my heart into one that is like your Son's, filled with a love that covers a multitude of sins. Amen"