Prayer library
A Prayer for Forgiveness
Whether you need to be forgiven or need to forgive, both are heavy, and both are possible in Christ. Bring it to Him.
Father, I have fallen short, and You know it fully.
Wash me clean; I receive the mercy Jesus bought for me.
And give me grace to forgive the one who wounded me,
to lay down the offense I have carried too long.
Set me free. Amen.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
1 John 1:9
You don’t have to pray alone
On The Living Bread you can ask the family of God to pray for you and watch prayers be answered, or pray for someone else who needs it today. It is free, and you are welcome exactly as you are.
This prayer at a glance
| Prayer for | Forgiveness |
|---|---|
| Lines to pray | 5 |
| Anchored in | 1 John 1:9 |
| Time to pray it | about a minute, slowly |
| Related prayers | 4 |
Read it in context
Read it beside its neighbours. These are the passages readers most often set next to this one.
- Psalms 32:5
- Proverbs 28:13
- Jeremiah 33:8
- Psalms 51:2-5
- 1 John 1:7
- Ezekiel 36:25
- Hebrews 10:23
- 1 Timothy 1:15
- Nehemiah 1:6
- Ezekiel 37:23
Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY.
Questions people ask
What Scripture is a prayer for forgiveness built on?
It rests on 1 John 1:9. The prayer above is written in plain words around that passage, and the verse is quoted from the stored text, not from memory.
What if I have no words to pray for forgiveness?
Start with the first line of the prayer above and stop there if that is all you can say. God hears the first honest sentence. You can also ask the family of God on The Living Bread to pray with you and for you.
Can I pray this for someone else?
Yes. Change the first person to their name and pray the same lines for them. Praying for others is part of loving one another, and you can ask the family of God to join you.
Pray this
Father, you are already present in Forgiveness, before any of us arrive. We bring you forgiveness, marriage, peace. Let your Body in that place love one another and be one. In the name of Jesus, amen.
Live this
Three small things you can do this week.
- Pray the lines above once today, out loud if you can, and read 1 John 1:9 in your own Bible.
- Tell one trusted person that you are praying about forgiveness, and ask them to pray with you.
- Write down one thing you notice this week, so that you can thank God by name when it comes.
Where this fits in the walk with Christ
Christ meets people in a place, and then walks on with them. Here are doors that walk on.
