Repentance is a deep act of turning away from our wrongdoings and seeking forgiveness.
In this collection of 30 prayers, we delve into the depths of remorse, guided by scriptures illuminating the path toward reconciliation with our Creator.
These heartfelt petitions invite us to examine our hearts, acknowledge our transgressions, and seek divine mercy.
Whether whispered in solitude or shared within a community, these prayers resonate with the universal longing for redemption.
Also Read:
Prayers For Repentance As An Individual
1. 1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ESV
Gracious Father, I humbly come before You, acknowledging my sins.
I trust Your faithfulness to forgive and cleanse me as I confess them.
May Your mercy wash over me, renewing my spirit.
Amen!
2. Psalm 51:10
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. ESV
Heavenly Father, mold my heart anew.
Remove any impurity, and grant me a spirit aligned with Your will.
May my thoughts, words, and actions reflect Your righteousness.
Amen!
3. James 4:8
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ESV
Loving God, I draw near to You, seeking Your presence.
Purify my heart, cleanse my hands, and help me remain steadfast in devotion to You.
Amen!
4. Luke 15:10
Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents. ESV
Gracious Lord, may my repentance bring joy to the heavenly hosts.
Let my turning away from sin be a cause for celebration in Your presence.
Amen!
5. Proverbs 28:13
Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. ESV
Merciful Father, I lay bare my transgressions before You.
Grant me the courage to confess and forsake them.
May Your abundant mercy envelop me.
Amen!
6. Isaiah 55:7
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. ESV
Compassionate God, I forsake my sinful ways and thoughts.
I turn back to You, seeking Your abundant pardon.
May Your compassion overflow in my life.
Amen!
7. Psalm 32:5
I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. ESV
Gracious Redeemer, I openly acknowledge my sins.
I confess them to You, knowing that Your forgiveness awaits.
Thank You for cleansing me.
Amen!
8. Acts 3:19
Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out. ESV
Heavenly Father, I repent and turn back to You.
Blot out my sins, and write Your grace upon my heart.
May I walk in Your light.
Amen!
9. Ezekiel 18:30
Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin. ESV
Sovereign God, I heed Your call to repentance.
I turn away from my transgressions, seeking Your mercy.
Guard me from the ruin of iniquity.
Amen!
10. Joel 2:12-13
Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. ESV
Compassionate Father, I return to You wholeheartedly.
May my fasting, weeping, and mourning rend my heart before You.
Your grace and steadfast love await me.
Amen!
Prayers For Repentance As A Nation
1. Jeremiah 18:8
And if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it. ESV
Sovereign God, we humbly intercede for our nation.
May our collective repentance turn Your heart toward us.
Relent from any impending judgment, and grant us mercy.
Amen!
2. 2 Chronicles 7:14
If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. ESV
Gracious Lord, we bow before You, seeking Your face.
As a nation, we repent and turn from our wickedness.
Hear our cries, forgive our sins, and heal our land.
Amen!
3. Joel 2:17
Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep and say, ‘Spare your people, O Lord, and make not your heritage a reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God? ESV
Compassionate God, our priests weep on behalf of the nation.
Spare us, Lord, and restore our honor.
May our testimony point to Your presence among us.
Amen!
4. Nehemiah 1:6
Let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father’s house have sinned. ESV
Merciful Father, day and night, we lift our voices.
We confess the sins of our nation, acknowledging our guilt.
Hear our plea, and grant us restoration.
Amen!
5. Psalm 106:6
Both we and our fathers have sinned; we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness. ESV
Righteous Judge, generations have erred.
We stand in the gap, confessing our national sins.
Forgive us, and lead us toward righteousness.
Amen!
6. Isaiah 59:12
For our transgressions are multiplied before you, and our sins testify against us; for our transgressions are with us, and we know our iniquities. ESV
Holy God, our transgressions abound.
Our sins testify against us.
May our repentance be genuine, and may You cleanse our nation.
Amen!
7. Ezra 9:6
O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens. ESV
Gracious Redeemer, shame fills our hearts, and our guilt reaches the heavens.
Look upon us with compassion, and lift our faces toward Your grace.
Amen!
8. Daniel 9:5
We have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. ESV
Sovereign Lord, our nation’s rebellion weighs heavy.
We acknowledge our wickedness and disobedience.
May Your mercy prevail over our waywardness.
Amen!
9. Hosea 14:2
Take with you words and return to the Lord; say to him, ‘Take away all iniquity; accept what is good, and we will pay with bulls the vows of our lips. ESV
Compassionate Shepherd, we bring our words to You.
Remove our iniquity, accept our repentance, and restore our vows.
May our worship be genuine.
Amen!
10. Lamentations 3:40
Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the Lord! ESV
Loving God, we examine our paths. Lead us back to You.
May our national course align with Your righteous ways.
Amen!
Prayers For Repentance As A Family
1. Matthew 4:17
From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Lord Jesus, we repent as a family, recognizing that Your kingdom is near.
Help us align our lives with Your will, avoiding anything hindering our fellowship.
May Your reign be evident in our hearts and homes.
Amen!
2. 2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. ESV
Gracious God, thank You for Your patience and desire for our repentance.
As a family, we seek Your mercy.
May none of us perish but truly repent and experience Your abundant love.
Amen!
3. Acts 2:38
And Peter said to them, ‘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. ESV
Heavenly Father, we repent and turn to You, seeking forgiveness through the name of Jesus Christ.
Baptize us anew with Your Holy Spirit, that we may walk in holiness and obedience.
Amen!
4. Matthew 3:8
Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. ESV
God of transformation, help us bear fruit that reflects our repentance.
May our actions, words, and relationships align with Your truth.
Let our lives testify to the change You’ve wrought in us.
Amen!
5. Acts 17:30
The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. ESV
Loving Father, we acknowledge our past ignorance.
Today, we respond to Your command to repent.
May our hearts be open to Your truth, and may our family be a witness to Your grace.
Amen!
6. Acts 17:30
The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. ESV
Loving Father, we acknowledge our past ignorance.
Today, we respond to Your command to repent.
May our hearts be open to Your truth, and may our family be a witness to Your grace.
Amen!
7. Luke 13:3
No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. ESV
Merciful Savior, we take Your warning seriously.
We repent, knowing that apart from You, we face spiritual peril.
Keep us close so that we may live eternally in Your presence.
Amen!
8. Matthew 3:2
Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. ESV
Kingdom-bringer, we repent in anticipation of Your nearness.
May Your reign be established in our hearts, home, and family.
Let Your kingdom come, and You will be done.
Amen!
9. Ephesians 4:31-32
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. ESV
Loving Savior, help us release bitterness, anger, and hurtful words from our family interactions.
May kindness and tenderheartedness prevail among us.
Teach us to forgive as You have forgiven us, extending grace and reconciliation.
Amen!
10. Joel 2:12-13
“Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. ESV
Gracious God, we turn to You wholeheartedly as a family.
We seek Your face with fasting, tears, and genuine sorrow in our brokenness.
May our hearts be torn open before You, knowing You are compassionate, merciful, and overflowing with steadfast love.
Amen!
Conclusion
Embarking on a heartfelt journey of repentance, we find solace in these transformative prayers, tenderly prepared to awaken our souls and heal our spirits.
As we navigate waves of guilt, let these precious words guide us like beacons, fostering compassion and stirring echoes of redemption within.