Prayers About Repentance
Find 50 prayers about Repentance to guide, comfort, and strengthen your faith.
Act of Contrition
O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended You, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all because they offend You, my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Your grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.
Traditional Catholic prayer
TraditionalHave Mercy on Me, O God
Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your loving devotion; according to Your great compassion, blot out my transgressions. Wash me clean of 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 that You may be proved right when You speak and blameless when You judge. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Your presence; take not Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and sustain me with a willing spirit.
Psalm 51:1-4, 10-12 (BSB)
BiblicalPrayer of the Publican
God, be merciful to me, a sinner!
Luke 18:13 (BSB)
BiblicalPrayer of Ezra
O my God, I am too ashamed and disgraced to lift up my face to You, my God, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens. But now, for a brief moment, grace has come from the Lord our God to preserve for us a remnant and to give us a stake in His holy place. Our God has brightened our eyes and given us a little relief in our bondage.
Ezra 9:6, 8 (BSB)
BiblicalPrayer of Jonah from the Fish
In my distress I called to the Lord, and He answered me. From the belly of Sheol I called for help, and You heard my voice. You hurled me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the current swirled about me; all Your breakers and waves swept over me. But I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving. I will fulfill what I have vowed. Salvation is from the Lord!
Jonah 2:2-3, 9 (BSB)
BiblicalSeek the Lord While He May Be Found
Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked man forsake his own way and the unrighteous man his own thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that He may have compassion, and to our God, for He will freely pardon. 'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,' declares the Lord. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.'
Isaiah 55:6-9 (BSB)
BiblicalNehemiah's Prayer of Confession
O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps His covenant of loving devotion with those who love Him and keep His commandments, let Your eyes be open and Your ears attentive to hear the prayer that I, Your servant, now pray before You day and night for Your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins we Israelites have committed against You. Both I and my father's house have sinned.
Nehemiah 1:5-6 (BSB)
BiblicalHe Will Sit as a Refiner
But who can endure the day of His coming, and who can stand when He appears? For He will be like a refiner's fire, like a launderer's soap. And He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver. Then they will present offerings to the Lord in righteousness.
Malachi 3:2-3 (BSB)
BiblicalIf We Confess Our Sins, He Is Faithful
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:8-9 (BSB)
BiblicalRepent and Be Baptized
Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.
Acts 2:38-39 (BSB)
BiblicalBlessed Is the One Whose Sin Is Forgiven
Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was drained as in the summer heat. Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not hide my iniquity. I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,' and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Therefore let all the godly pray to You while You may be found.
Psalm 32:1-6 (BSB)
BiblicalRend Your Heart and Not Your Garments
'Even now,' declares the Lord, 'return to Me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.' Rend your hearts and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. And He relents from sending disaster. And afterward, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
Joel 2:12-13, 28 (BSB)
BiblicalThe Jesus Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
Traditional Orthodox prayer (early Christian)
TraditionalSearch Me, O God
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139:23-24 (BSB)
BiblicalOut of the Depths I Cry to You
Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord. O Lord, hear my voice; let Your ears be attentive to my plea for mercy. If You, O Lord, kept track of iniquities, then who, O Lord, could stand? But with You there is forgiveness, so that You may be feared. I wait for the Lord; my soul does wait, and in His word I do hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning.
Psalm 130:1-6 (BSB)
BiblicalI Know That You Can Do All Things
I know that You can do all things and that no plan of Yours can be thwarted. You asked, 'Who is this who conceals My counsel without knowledge?' Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. My ears had heard of You, but now my eyes have seen You. Therefore I retract my words, and I repent in dust and ashes.
Job 42:2-3, 5-6 (BSB)
BiblicalVindicate Me, O Lord
Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked with integrity, and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. Test me, O Lord, and try me; examine my heart and mind. For Your loving devotion is before my eyes, and I have walked in Your truth. I wash my hands in innocence and go about Your altar, O Lord, giving voice to thanksgiving and recounting all Your wonders. I love the house where You dwell, O Lord, the place where Your glory resides.
Psalm 26:1-3, 6-8 (BSB)
BiblicalHoly, Holy, Holy Is the Lord of Hosts
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!
Isaiah 6:3 (BSB)
BiblicalPrayer Before Holy Communion
Lord, I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed. I believe that You are truly present in this Most Holy Sacrament. I adore You with profound reverence. I ask forgiveness for my sins and the grace to receive You worthily. Grant that this Communion may bring me closer to You and to my neighbor.
Traditional prayer before Communion (based on Matthew 8:8)
TraditionalPrayer of St. John Chrysostom Before Communion
O Lord my God, I know that I am not worthy nor sufficient that You should come under the roof of the house of my soul, for all is desolate and fallen, and You have not with me a fitting place to lay Your head. But as from the heights of Your glory You did humble Yourself, so now bear with my humility. As You deigned to lie in a manger in a cave, so deign also to enter the manger of my unworthy soul and body.
St. John Chrysostom (d. 407)
Church FatherPrayer of Humble Access
We do not presume to come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy Table. But thou art the same Lord, whose property is always to have mercy: Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and to drink his Blood, that we may evermore dwell in Him, and He in us. Amen.
Book of Common Prayer (1662, public domain)
TraditionalPrayer of John Donne
Bring us, O Lord God, at our last awakening into the house and gate of heaven, to enter into that gate and dwell in that house, where there shall be no darkness nor dazzling, but one equal light; no noise nor silence, but one equal music; no fears nor hopes, but one equal possession; no ends nor beginnings, but one equal eternity: in the habitations of Your majesty and Your glory, world without end. Amen.
John Donne (d. 1631, public domain)
SaintPrayer of Examen
Lord, I give You thanks for all the gifts You have bestowed on me this day. I ask for Your light to review the day now ending. Where did I feel Your presence today? Where did I respond to Your grace? Where did I resist Your grace? Lord, show me how I failed to love today. I am sorry for the times I turned away from You and from others. Give me the grace to begin again tomorrow, closer to You, more open to Your love, more ready to serve. I place my trust in You for the day to come.
Based on St. Ignatius of Loyola's Spiritual Exercises (d. 1556)
SaintDe Profundis
Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice. Let Your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness, so that You may be feared. I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait, and in His word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning. O Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love, and with Him is full redemption. He Himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.
Psalm 130 (traditional liturgical rendering)
TraditionalPrayer for Advent
Almighty God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness and put upon us the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which Your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when He shall come again in His glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Collect for the First Sunday of Advent (Book of Common Prayer, 1662)
TraditionalSet a Guard, O Lord, Over My Mouth
O Lord, I call to You; come quickly to me. Hear my voice when I call to You. May my prayer be set before You like incense, the lifting up of my hands like the evening offering. Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips. Do not let my heart be drawn to any evil thing or take part in wicked deeds with men who do iniquity. But my eyes are fixed on You, O Lord GOD; in You I take refuge; do not leave my soul destitute.
Psalm 141:1-4, 8 (BSB)
BiblicalDivine Mercy Prayer
You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us. Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself.
Diary of Saint Faustina Kowalska (d. 1938, public domain)
TraditionalThe Lord's Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Matthew 6:9-13 (BSB)
BiblicalThe Lord Is My Shepherd
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalm 23 (BSB)
BiblicalHe Who Dwells in the Shelter of the Most High
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, 'You are my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.' Surely He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler, and from the deadly plague. He will cover you with His feathers; under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the calamity that destroys at noon. Because you have made the Lord your dwelling, no harm will befall you, no plague will approach your tent. For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.
Psalm 91:1-6, 9-11 (BSB)
BiblicalPraise the Lord, O My Soul
Praise the Lord, O my soul; all that is within me, praise His holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all His kind deeds. He forgives all your iniquities and heals all your diseases. He redeems your life from the Pit and crowns you with loving devotion and compassion. He satisfies you with good things; your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
Psalm 103:1-5 (BSB)
BiblicalI Lift Up My Eyes to the Hills
I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; your Protector will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is the shade on your right hand. The sun will not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will guard you from all evil; He will preserve your soul. The Lord will watch over your coming and going, both now and forevermore.
Psalm 121 (BSB)
BiblicalThe Magnificat
My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. For He has looked with favor on the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed. For the Mighty One has done great things for me. Holy is His name. His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who are proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones, but has exalted the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped His servant Israel, remembering to be merciful.
Luke 1:46-55 (BSB)
BiblicalThe Priestly Blessing
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.
Numbers 6:24-26 (BSB)
BiblicalDo Not Be Anxious
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7 (BSB)
BiblicalPrayer of St. Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Traditional prayer attributed to St. Francis of Assisi
TraditionalThe Serenity Prayer
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.
Reinhold Niebuhr (public domain)
TraditionalSt. Patrick's Breastplate
Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me. Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in quiet, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.
Traditional Irish prayer attributed to St. Patrick
SaintPrayer for Rest in God
You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You. Grant us, Lord, to know what we ought to know, to love what we ought to love, to praise what delights You most, to value what is precious in Your sight, to hate what is offensive to You. Do not allow us to judge according to the sight of our eyes, nor to pass sentence according to the hearing of the ears of ignorant men; but to discern with a true judgment between things visible and spiritual, and above all things, always to inquire what is the good pleasure of Your will.
St. Augustine of Hippo, Confessions and other writings
SaintSuscipe of St. Ignatius
Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, all I have and call my own. You have given all to me. To You, Lord, I return it. Everything is Yours; do with it what You will. Give me only Your love and Your grace, that is enough for me.
St. Ignatius of Loyola, Spiritual Exercises
SaintGlory Be to the Father
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Traditional Christian doxology
TraditionalSong of Simeon
Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word. For my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to Your people Israel.
Luke 2:29-32 (BSB)
BiblicalPrayer of St. Thomas Aquinas Before Study
Creator of all things, true source of light and wisdom, origin of all being, graciously let a ray of Your light penetrate the darkness of my understanding. Take from me the double darkness in which I have been born, an obscurity of sin and ignorance. Give me a keen understanding, a retentive memory, and the ability to grasp things correctly and fundamentally. Grant me the talent of being exact in my explanations and the ability to express myself with thoroughness and charm. Point out the beginning, direct the progress, and help in the completion. I ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
St. Thomas Aquinas
SaintPrayer of Jabez
Oh, that You would bless me and enlarge my territory! May Your hand be with me and keep me from harm, so that I will be free from pain.
1 Chronicles 4:10 (BSB)
BiblicalGod Is Our Refuge and Strength
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth is transformed and the mountains are toppled into the depths of the seas, though their waters roar and foam and the mountains quake in the surge. Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted over the earth. The Lord of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Psalm 46:1-3, 10-11 (BSB)
BiblicalThe Lord Is My Light
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Though an army encamps around me, my heart will not fear; though a war breaks out against me, I will keep my trust. One thing I have asked of the Lord; this is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and seek Him in His temple. Wait for the Lord; be strong and courageous. Wait for the Lord!
Psalm 27:1, 3-4, 14 (BSB)
BiblicalMy Soul Finds Rest in God Alone
My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress; I will never be shaken. Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress; I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor rest on God; He is my strong rock, my refuge. Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is our refuge.
Psalm 62:1-2, 5-8 (BSB)
BiblicalTaste and See That the Lord Is Good
I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the Lord; the humble will hear and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me; let us exalt His name together. I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears. Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him. The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry. The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears; He delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted; He saves the contrite in spirit.
Psalm 34:1-4, 8, 15, 17-18 (BSB)
BiblicalAs the Deer Pants for Water
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear in God's presence? Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.
Psalm 42:1-2, 5 (BSB)
BiblicalTeach Me Your Way, O Lord
Incline Your ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Preserve my soul, for I am godly. Save Your servant who trusts in You. You are my God; be merciful to me, O Lord, for I call to You all day long. Bring joy to Your servant, for to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. For You, O Lord, are kind and forgiving, rich in loving devotion to all who call on You. Teach me Your way, O Lord, that I may walk in Your truth. Give me an undivided heart to fear Your name.
Psalm 86:1-5, 11 (BSB)
Biblical
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