The Old Testament is a history book of God’s teachings. God constantly appears to his people, they follow and obey him for a period of time, and then they turn away from him. This then leads to humanity needing God again, a true believer asking God for help, and God coming to his rescue. It is this circle of love that humanity is constantly moving away from.
Fortunately God has given us Jesus for our salvation. Jesus lived a perfect life so that the people who come after him would be forgiven. Jesus endured the evil of humanity and died on the cross, taking with him the sins of the world. Jesus taught us that all we have to do to get to heaven is believe in him and his sacrifice.
John 3:16 says: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”. As Christians and firm believers in Jesus we ask for salvation and it is granted to us, we do our best to live according to God’s commandments, but we still fall short. Except now, we can repent of our sins and continue trying to do the best we can for our Lord.
Before we begin to repent before God, let’s clarify the components of repentance and take the time to understand each step and what it means. I have also included a salvation prayer, for those who are ready to live a Christian life and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. If you have specific prayers for requests for repentance, please leave them in the comments below.
How to pray for repentance:
Let’s talk about the right mindset when it comes to praying for repentance, forgiveness, or any time you’ve strayed from God’s path.
- Recognize that you have sinned. Everyone does this every day. We sin in ways we are aware of, but also in ways we don’t even think about. Recognizing that we are not perfect allows us to be grateful for Jesus’ sacrifice.
- Feel sorry for what has happened. Saying the words out loud is not enough. You need to feel some kind of remorse for your actions. God will know if you are not being honest.
- Give up what we have done, and decide to leave it. In this step, you will verbally promise to never perform the action again, and later in life you will do everything possible to never repeat this action.
- Confess your actions. Give them to God, and let him cleanse you from what you have done.
- Forgive those who have wronged you, whether they have stolen from you or slandered you, they still need forgiveness. Don’t let your anger or jealousy sit in your heart. This is incredibly important, if you allow yourself to become bitter and resentful, you are more likely to sin again.
- TWork to become a keeper of the commandments. Align your life with Jesus and his teachings. Live an honest and loving Christian life.
Prayer of Repentance for Salvation:
Dear God, I know that I have sinned and that I am not perfect.
Father, please forgive me for my sins. I’m really sorry for the way I’ve been living my life, Lord.
Father, I want to trust in Jesus, I want to give my life to him, Lord. I want to exemplify the love that Jesus has for the world.
I believe in the Holy Trinity, which exists in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
I believe that Jesus is my Lord and Savior, I believe that he was born of the virgin Mary, lived a perfect life, was crucified and buried, and on the third day he rose from the dead.
Father, I believe in your word and I want to rejoice in your salvation. I will do my best to live my life with you first and foremost until the end. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
Simple Repentance Prayer
Heavenly Father, I have made a mistake.
I regret my actions and promise to never do it again.
Lord, my mistake is something that only you can forgive.
Father, I ask forgiveness from those around me who have contributed to my mistake. Help me to forgive them, as you forgive me.
Lord, I promise to do better by walking in the light of Jesus. Thank you for your sacrifice, which allows me another chance at redemption. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
Prayer for repentance and forgiveness of sins
Heavenly Father, today I come to you to tell you that I have sinned. Father, I know that what I have done goes against your teachings. I know that I have let you down by not keeping your laws.
Lord, I am sorry for my sinful nature. I’m sorry to have disappointed you. I know I’ve been here before, Lord, and I want you to know that I’m ashamed, that I’m still standing here today.
I promise you again, Lord, to abandon my sinful nature. I promise to remind myself daily of your laws and think before doing any action. I ask that you give me a feeling of unease if I stray from your path again, Lord.
I know that deviating from your way of life is a sin, Lord. I have done it today. I have made decisions that I knew were wrong. I have made decisions that I did not think much about at the time, but they were a sin Father. I have not stood up for you, Lord, the way I should have. I give you my deepest regret, Lord, and I ask for your forgiveness.
Father, you forgive me every time. However, I have a hard time forgiving others. Help teach me how to forgive, Lord. Help me learn from your love and sacrifice. Guide me along your path of light and endless promise.
Father, I promise to do better tomorrow. I want to earn the forgiveness you have blessed me with today. I want to show you that I don’t take your forgiveness for granted. Thank you Father for never giving up on me. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
Prayer for repentance and cleansing after turning away from God
Dear Lord, I have come to repent for turning away from you God. I know better, Lord. I know that the path I have traveled is full of sin and short-term pleasure. I know that for true happiness I must not deviate. Lord, I have come to recognize that I took the wrong path and continued on it even though I knew I shouldn’t.
Father, I feel terrible. I feel dirty because of the lifestyle I have been living. I know that everything I have right now was made by my will and not by yours. Lord, I feel the need for a spiritual cleansing.
Heavenly Father, I stand before you today, to reaffirm my promise to live in your light. I promise to do everything I can to stay on the path you have laid out for believers. I want to exemplify my faith and help others know you, Lord.
Lord, I promise not to despise those who have helped me astray. I promise to show them the forgiveness you would so willingly give them. Father, help my actions to lead them to your light.
I thank you Jesus for your sacrifice, without it I could not return to this path. I ask You to cleanse me, Lord and I promise to work hard to stay strong in my faithful path. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
Prayer of Repentance for Sins You Don’t Always See:
Dear Lord, I come to you today to repent of the sins I commit unknowingly. Father, I make mistakes every day and I make them without a second thought.
Lord, I feel guilty for not seeing these actions as sins. I feel like I’ve let you down, when I just want to make you proud.
Lord, I am here to ask your forgiveness for these sins. I repent before you knowing what I have done, but asking you to open my eyes to these sins. Father, help me see these actions for the sins that they are. Help me stop thinking about these actions as everyday activities.
Lord, I ask you to forgive everyone around me; the other people who sin in ways they don’t see. Father, help me to forgive those who I notice pulling me in this direction. Help me remind them that there is a better way, help me show them your way, Lord.
Thank you for your sacrifice, Lord. Thank you for taking away even the smallest of my sins. Guide me with your light, Lord. Just give me opportunities to earn your praise. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
Prayer of deep repentance
Heavenly Father, I have done something from which I fear I cannot return. Lord, I am afraid to come to you with this weight. I don’t think I’m redeemable, Lord. I don’t think you want someone like me to carry the name of a believer. Father, you are the image of perfection and I am lost. I’m so far off the path; I can’t see the light anymore.
Lord, I had an awakening today. I remembered that I don’t have to carry all this weight alone. I fell hard, Lord. I am not standing in your grace, and I am all alone. I feel weak and abandoned. I realize, Lord, that it is I who has abandoned you. I have placed myself before the will of God.
Father I’m sorry. I come to you little as a child, begging for your forgiveness. I come to you on my knees to apologize, I know better and I walked the dark path anyway. Lord, I want you to know that I feel ashamed. I feel weak and unstable. I don’t want to be consumed by these feelings again, Lord. I just want to feel your love and your grace. Please cleanse me Lord.
Father, I am giving up this dark path I was traveling on. I am letting go of everything I have gained from this lifestyle. I’m leaving behind people I thought were my friends, places I thought I belonged, and I’m coming back to you.
Lord, I lay my actions at your feet. I ask you to take them away from me. I ask you to redeem me and allow me to breathe again. Father, this is something that is crushing me. Please lift this weight, Lord, and I promise to do better.
Father, help me to forgive those who have wronged me. Help me to grant them the grace that you grant me today. Please take away my hurt feelings. Take away the anger and resentment I have towards these people, Lord. Father, grant me the opportunity to see only what you see in them.
Lord, I want to take them to the light with me. Give me the courage to speak of your mercy to those who are lost, Lord. Guide me along the path of discipleship, as I turn away from this path of sin.
Father, I thank you for this fulfillment of this promise. I promise to try to walk this path with endless faithfulness. Lord, I ask that you surround me with your faithful believers. Father, guide me to your church. Guide me to your family. Help me keep my word by giving me people to check on me if I go down this path again. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
Final thoughts
Repentance through prayer is a gift from God. He loves us and wants us with him always. I pray that you remember his love every day. I pray that you stop before you make a big mistake. I pray that you will hold our Lord in such regard that you will always consider what God wants you to do, rather than what would make your life easier in the moment.
1 John 1:9 says: “ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.. “I believe we can be redeemed again and again. I hope you find faith through your repentance. I think it’s important to be accountable to our…