Forgiveness is one of the most challenging yet liberating acts of the Christian life. These 30 prayers for forgiving others will guide you through the complex process of releasing those who have hurt you – from minor offenses to deep wounds.
Powerful Prayers For Forgiving Others
Each prayer addresses a specific aspect of forgiveness, accompanied by Scripture promises that reveal God’s heart on this vital matter. Whether you’re struggling to forgive a friend’s betrayal, a family member’s hurtful words, or a stranger’s offense, these heartfelt prayers will help you find freedom through Christ-like forgiveness.
1. Prayer For Willingness to Forgive
Heavenly Father, I confess my struggle to forgive. Create in me a willing heart to release those who’ve hurt me. Help me see forgiveness as a gift to myself as much as to others. Break through my resistance with Your love. Remind me how much You’ve forgiven me, that I may extend the same grace to others.
Ephesians 4:32
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Help me forgive as You forgave me, Lord. Amen.
2. Prayer For Healing From Hurt
Lord Jesus, the pain from this offense still feels fresh. Heal my wounded heart as I choose to forgive. Comfort me in my hurt while strengthening me to release it. Bind up my brokenness with Your tender care. Let Your healing flow as I walk in obedience to forgive.
Psalm 147:3
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Bind up my wounds as I forgive, Lord. Amen.
3. Prayer For Letting Go of Resentment
Merciful God, resentment has taken root in my heart. Help me pull it up by choosing forgiveness. Free me from replaying the offense in my mind. Release me from the poison of bitterness. Fill the emptied spaces with Your peace and love.
Hebrews 12:15
“See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” Remove my bitter roots, Lord. Amen.
4. Prayer For Forgiving Repeated Offenses
Patient Father, this person keeps hurting me in the same way. Give me strength to forgive seventy times seven. Help me set healthy boundaries while maintaining a forgiving heart. Teach me when to confront in love and when to simply release the offense to You.
Matthew 18:21-22
“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.'” Give me this spirit of forgiveness, Lord. Amen.
5. Prayer For Forgiving Family Members
God of Reconciliation, family wounds cut deepest. Help me forgive my relatives who’ve hurt me. Heal fractured relationships where possible. Give me wisdom in maintaining healthy boundaries. Let forgiveness flow even when full restoration isn’t possible.
Colossians 3:13
“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Help me bear with and forgive my family, Lord. Amen.
6. Prayer For Forgiving Friends
Faithful God, my friend’s betrayal stings deeply. Help me forgive this breach of trust. Give me discernment about rebuilding the relationship. Protect me from future harm while keeping my heart free from bitterness. Restore what can be redeemed.
Proverbs 17:17
“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.” Help me love through this adversity, Lord. Amen.
7. Prayer For Forgiving Yourself
Compassionate Father, I struggle to forgive myself for past mistakes. Help me receive Your complete forgiveness. Silence the accuser’s voice in my mind. Teach me to learn from failures without being crippled by them. Let me walk in the freedom of Your grace.
1 John 1:9
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Thank You for purifying me, Lord. Amen.
8. Prayer For Forgiving the Church
Head of the Church, I’ve been hurt by fellow believers. Help me forgive those who’ve misrepresented You. Protect me from judging all Christians by these wounds. Give me discernment without cynicism. Heal my ability to trust Your body again.
Romans 14:13
“Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.” Remove my judgments, Lord. Amen.
9. Prayer For Forgiving Authorities
Sovereign Lord, I struggle to forgive those in authority who’ve abused their power. Help me release my anger at unjust leaders. Give me wisdom in responding appropriately. Protect me from rebellion while healing my distrust. Let me honor the position while forgiving the person.
Romans 13:1
“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.” Help me forgive while being subject, Lord. Amen.
10. Prayer For Forgiving Parents
Heavenly Father, my parents wounded me in ways that still affect me. Help me forgive their failures and shortcomings. Heal the childhood hurts that shaped me. Break generational patterns through forgiveness. Let me honor them while acknowledging the pain.
Exodus 20:12
“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” Help me honor through forgiveness, Lord. Amen.
11. Prayer For Forgiving Children
Tender Parent, my child’s actions have hurt me deeply. Help me forgive while still parenting wisely. Give me balance between grace and boundaries. Heal the disappointment in my heart. Restore our relationship through mutual forgiveness.
Luke 15:20
“So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” Give me this father’s heart, Lord. Amen.
12. Prayer For Forgiving Spouses
God of Covenant, marriage hurts cut deepest of all. Help me forgive my spouse while working toward healing. Give us both humility to seek reconciliation. Protect our union from bitterness. Let forgiveness pave the way for restored intimacy.
Ephesians 5:25
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” Teach us this sacrificial love, Lord. Amen.
13. Prayer For Forgiving Ex-Spouses
God of Second Chances, the pain from my past marriage still lingers. Help me completely forgive my ex-spouse. Free me from comparing new relationships to old wounds. Heal my ability to trust and love again. Let forgiveness close this chapter fully.
Philippians 3:13
“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.” Help me move forward, Lord. Amen.
14. Prayer For Forgiving Co-workers
Lord of Our Work, workplace offenses make daily life difficult. Help me forgive colleagues who’ve undermined or offended me. Give me wisdom in professional boundaries. Let me represent Christ in how I handle these relationships. Make me a peacemaker at work.
Romans 12:18
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Help me live at peace, Lord. Amen.
15. Prayer For Forgiving Neighbors
God of Community, neighborhood conflicts create daily tension. Help me forgive those living closest to me. Give me courage to address issues lovingly when needed. Protect me from petty grudges. Let my home be a place of peace and reconciliation.
Mark 12:31
“The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Help me truly love my neighbors, Lord. Amen.
16. Prayer For Forgiving Enemies
Lord of Justice, my enemies have sought to harm me. Help me forgive as You commanded. Protect me from their attacks while keeping my heart free from hatred. Teach me to pray for those who persecute me. Let forgiveness disarm their power over me.
Matthew 5:44
“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Give me strength to obey this, Lord. Amen.
17. Prayer For Forgiving Abusers
Righteous Judge, the abuse I suffered makes forgiveness seem impossible. Help me release my abusers to Your justice. Protect me from further harm while healing my trauma. Redeem what was meant for evil in Your time and way. Let forgiveness be part of my healing.
Genesis 50:20
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” Bring good from this pain, Lord. Amen.
18. Prayer For Forgiving the Deceased
Eternal God, the one who hurt me is now gone, leaving unresolved pain. Help me forgive even though we can’t reconcile. Free me from being stuck in the past. Heal the wounds they left behind. Let forgiveness complete what death left unfinished.
Revelation 21:4
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Comfort me with this hope, Lord. Amen.
19. Prayer For Forgiving Yourself for Others’ Pain
Merciful Father, I can’t forgive myself for hurting others. Help me receive Your complete forgiveness. Show me how to make amends where possible. Teach me from my failures without being defined by them. Let me grow in wisdom and compassion.
Psalm 103:12
“As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” Thank You for removing my sins, Lord. Amen.
20. Prayer For Forgiving God
Faithful Father, I’ve been angry at You for allowing my pain. Help me release this anger and trust Your goodness. Give me understanding of Your ways. Heal my disappointment with You. Restore my childlike faith in Your perfect love.
Isaiah 55:8-9
“‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord.” Help me trust Your higher ways, Lord. Amen.
21. Prayer For Forgiving Financial Wrongs
Jehovah Jireh, I struggle to forgive those who’ve cheated me financially. Help me release my right to repayment. Provide for my needs despite these losses. Keep me from resentment over money matters. Teach me to be generous despite being wronged.
Luke 6:35
“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.” Help me obey this radical command, Lord. Amen.
22. Prayer For Forgiving False Accusations
God of Truth, false accusations have damaged my reputation. Help me forgive those who spread lies about me. Give me wisdom in responding to correct the record. Let Your vindication be enough for me. Protect me from defensiveness and bitterness.
Psalm 37:6
“He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.” I trust in Your vindication, Lord. Amen.
23. Prayer For Forgiving Rejection
Loving God, the pain of rejection lingers in my heart. Help me forgive those who excluded or abandoned me. Heal my fear of future rejection. Teach me my worth in Your eyes alone. Let forgiveness free me to love and trust again.
Deuteronomy 31:6
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified…for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Thank You for never rejecting me, Lord. Amen.
24. Prayer For Forgetting While Forgiving
All-Knowing God, help me forgive even when I can’t forget the offense. Teach me to take captive painful memories when they surface. Redeem my past by using it to help others. Let forgiveness transform my memories over time.
Isaiah 43:25
“I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” Help me forgive as You do, Lord. Amen.
25. Prayer For Forgiving the Unrepentant
Just Judge, they show no remorse for hurting me. Help me forgive even without their repentance. Free me from waiting for an apology that may never come. Let my forgiveness be unconditional, like Yours toward me before I repented.
Romans 5:8
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Help me demonstrate this love, Lord. Amen.
26. Prayer For Forgiving Childhood Wounds
Healing Father, childhood wounds still affect me today. Help me forgive those who hurt young, vulnerable me. Heal the deep patterns these created. Redeem my past for Your glory. Let forgiveness break generational cycles.
Joel 2:25
“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten…” Restore what was lost, Lord. Amen.
27. Prayer For Forgiving Racial Injustice
God of All Peoples, racial wounds cut deep in me and my ancestors. Help me forgive systemic oppression and personal prejudice. Give me wisdom in pursuing justice without bitterness. Heal divides through Christ-like forgiveness. Make me an instrument of reconciliation.
Galatians 3:28
“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Help me live this truth, Lord. Amen.
28. Prayer For Forgiving the Church’s Past
Head of the Church, historical church wrongs trouble me. Help me forgive while learning from these failures. Give me wisdom to separate Christ from His followers’ mistakes. Protect me from rejecting Your body because of its imperfections.
Matthew 16:18
“And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” Keep building Your church, Lord. Amen.
29. Prayer For Forgiving Yourself for Not Forgiving
Compassionate Father, I feel guilty for struggling to forgive. Help me receive Your grace for this process too. Teach me that forgiveness is a journey, not a single act. Give me patience with my own heart as I grow in Christ-like forgiveness.
Philippians 1:6
“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Complete Your work in me, Lord. Amen.
30. Prayer For the Freedom of Forgiveness
Liberating God, thank You for the freedom forgiveness brings. Help me walk in this release daily. Protect me from taking back what I’ve released to You. Let my forgiveness bear fruit in renewed relationships where possible. Keep my heart soft and free through Christ-like forgiveness.
John 8:36
“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” Thank You for this glorious freedom, Lord. Amen.
Conclusion: As you’ve prayed through these petitions for forgiving others, remember that forgiveness is both a decision and a process. Some hurts heal quickly while others require repeated acts of surrender. Be patient with yourself as you grow in Christ-like forgiveness, knowing that the same grace that saved you also empowers you to forgive. Each act of forgiveness brings you closer to the freedom and peace God intends for you. May you continue to experience the liberating power of forgiveness as you walk in obedience to our Lord’s command to forgive as you have been forgiven.