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No, I don't think you're over-analyzing. But I'm gonna over-analyze like crazy in reply..

It could just be me, but I have reason in every prayer to be penitent.

This is more an Orthodox prayer and I'm just a beginner in understanding differences, but what I know so far is East vs. West is more terminology than anything.

In RC, and other forms, a "pure heart" is something we ask very often for God to create in us (from the beatitudes). Our practice is to remove obstacles that we put in the way to this. We ask God's help and strength in this.

We can sit and prepare and clean and clean and God can still choose not to come "abide". It's not like if I do this, God will do, or have to do, that.

But we have to at least be home to accept visitors and we still clean house in case He should drop by. :)

Then He can *really* clean house.

Cleaning house, or purification, is the basic first step in spiritual practice. And repentance is the best place to start cleaning up. ( Prayer for strength can begin the day; an examination of conscience at the end..)

To truly repent means to examine sin enough to "change our mind" about it, to see through the glamour of sin - metanoia. With time and grace this increases our spiritual health - helps to keep the house cleaner in the future. And if we are unable to repent, we instantly have a special gift - the knowledge of where we need to focus in order to become more healthy. (Christ's commandments are the foundation and guide, dying to self is another way of describing.)

My apologies for the simplistic analogy, it's the best I can do. Repentence is basic and always in spiritual practice. Also, I hope this explains a bit further that I see this "abiding in us" as conscious contact with the presence of God, aligning our will, God working through us, etc. St. Francis's "instrument of Your peace.."

So, in my very limited experience, your seeing penitence in O Heavenly King is correct, as it is in a great many of our prayers: "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner."