Prayer of Forgiveness

My roommate caught me red handed. I had lied to her face, and now I was plagued by guilt. I apologized and she forgave me, but I still felt blah. I needed to ask God for his forgiveness, but I didn’t know what to say to him. I turned to the Bible and found this passage in psalms. David wrote this right after Nathan confronted him about his affair with Bathsheba. Imagine how David felt in this moment. Probably way worse than I felt. I bet he felt guilty, shameful, sad, angry, frustrated, and many other emotions. Have you experienced these emotions after getting caught in a sin?

In this psalm, David pours his heart out. It is beautifully written and a perfect prayer of forgiveness. When we sin, we turn away from God. We need to ask God for forgiveness. Thank goodness we worship a God who does forgive. Once we make the decision to give God our life, God looks at us and sees Jesus. Our sins have been wiped clean, and we become white as snow.

I want you to experience this freedom. I want you to be free of guilt and shame and experience God’s forgiveness.

Pray through this passage and ask God to forgive you. Confessing sin and asking for forgiveness is not a one time action, but a daily re-occurrence. That is something I have to continually remind myself. You can use this passage as a guide.

Psalm 51:1-12

Have mercy on me, O God,
    according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
    blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity
    and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions,
    and my sin is always before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
    and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
    and justified when you judge.
Surely I was sinful at birth,
    sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
    you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
    wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
    let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins
    and blot out all my iniquity.

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
    or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
    and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

This passage helped me experience the full freedom of forgiveness. I am praying it will do the same for you.

Share this forgiveness with your friends.