A Prayer to Forgive Someone Who Hurt Me

Lord, You know who I am praying about. You saw what they did. You know it was real. I am not here to pretend it didn't hurt.

But I have been carrying this too long, and it is heavier than they will ever know. The resentment I keep feeding does not touch them. It only lives in me, and it is a bad tenant.

So today, as an act of will and not of feeling, I choose to forgive. I hand this person and what they did over to You — the Judge who sees everything and gets everything right. Justice is Yours now, not mine. I resign the job.

I may have to pray this again tomorrow. The hurt may knock again next week. Each time it does, help me open the door and hand it back to You.

And someday, Lord — I am not there yet — make me able to wish them well. Do in me what only You can do.

In Jesus' name, Amen.

When to Pray This

Pray this when someone's name still tightens your chest. Forgiving is rarely a single moment; it is a direction you keep choosing, and this prayer is made to be repeated. Forgiveness also does not require you to stay in harm's way — reconciliation and safety are separate questions, and wise counsel can help you sort them.

A Verse to Hold On To

"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." — Ephesians 4:32 (KJV)