A Prayer for Forgiveness

Father, I need Your forgiveness. I am not here to explain myself or to make my case. I am here because I was wrong.

You know what I did. You know what I said, and how I said it. You know the things I should have done and didn't — the kindness withheld, the truth avoided, the person passed by.

I have carried this long enough to know I cannot wash it out myself. So I bring it into the light, where You are.

Forgive me, Lord. Not because I have earned it — I haven't — but because You are merciful, and because Jesus paid for the mercy I am asking for.

Make me clean. Make me new. Where I have hurt someone, give me the humility to say so to their face. And when the shame comes knocking tomorrow, remind me that You have already answered this prayer.

In Jesus' name, Amen.

When to Pray This

Pray this the moment your conscience stings — don't wait until you feel worthy, because that day never comes on its own. It is also a good prayer before communion, or at the end of a day you wish had gone differently.

A Verse to Hold On To

"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 (KJV)