Forgiveness Prayer
From
the book by Father Robert DeGrandis S.S.J. and Betty Tapscott:
Forgiveness & Inner Healing
Let
us pray...
The following prayer covers most significant areas of forgiveness. Often, such a
prayer will bring to mind other areas that need forgiveness. Let the Holy Spirit
move freely and guide your mind to persons or groups that you need to forgive.
Lord
Jesus Christ, I ask today to forgive EVERYONE in my life. I know that You will
give me the strength to forgive and I thank You that You love me more than I
love myself and want my happiness more than I desire it for myself. Father, I
forgive YOU for the times death has come into the family, hard times, financial
difficulties, or what I thought were punishments sent by You and people said,
"It’s God’s will," and I become bitter and resentful toward You.
Purify
my heart and mind today. Lord, I forgive MYSELF for my sins, faults and
failings, for all that is bad in myself or that I think is bad, I forgive
myself; and I accept Your forgiveness. I further forgive MYSELF for taking Your
name in vain, not worshipping You by attending church, for hurting my parents,
getting drunk, for sins against purity, bad books, bad movies, fornication,
adultery, homosexuality. Also, for abortion, stealing, lying, defrauding,
hurting peoples’ reputation. You have forgiven me today, and I forgive myself.
Thank
You, Lord, for your grace at this moment. I also forgive MYSELF for any delvings
in superstition, using ouija boards, horoscopes, going to séances, using
fortune telling or wearing lucky charms. I reject all that superstition and
choose You alone as my Lord and Savior. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit.
Lord,
I truly forgive my MOTHER. I forgive her for all the times she hurt me, she
resented me, she was angry with me and for all the times she punished me. I
forgive her for the times she preferred my brothers and sisters to me. I forgive
her for the times she told me I was dumb, ugly, stupid, the worst of the
children or that I cost the family a lot of money. For the times she told me I
was unwanted, an accident, a mistake or not what she expected, I forgive her.
Lord,
I truly forgive my FATHER. I forgive him for any non-support, any lack of love,
affection or attention. I forgive him for any lack of time, for not giving me
his companionship, for his drinking, arguing and fighting with my mother or the
other children. For his severe punishments, for desertion, for being away from
home, for divorcing my mother or for any running around, I do forgive him.
Lord,
I extend forgiveness to my SISTERS AND BROTHERS. I forgive those who rejected
me, lied about me, hated me, resented me, competed for my parents’ love, those
who hurt me, who physically harmed me. For those who were too severe on me,
punished me or made my life unpleasant in any way, I do forgive them.
Lord,
I forgive my SPOUSE for lack of love, affection, consideration, support,
attention, communication; for faults, failings, weaknesses and those other acts
or words that hurt or disturb me.
Jesus,
I forgive my CHILDREN for their lack of respect, obedience, love, attention,
support, warmth, understanding; for their bad habits, falling away from the
church, any bad actions which disturb me.
Lord
God, I forgive my IN-LAWS, MY MOTHER-IN-LAW, FATHER-IN-LAW, SON/DAUGHTER-IN-LAW
AND OTHER RELATIVES by marriage, who treat my family with a lack of love. For
all their words, thoughts, actions or omissions which injure and cause pain, I
forgive them.
Please
help to forgive my RELATIVES, my grandmother and grandfather, aunts, uncles,
cousins, who may have interfered in our family, been possessive of my parents,
who may have caused confusion or turned one parent against the other.
Jesus, help me to forgive my CO-WORKERS who are disagreeable or make life
miserable for me. For those who push their work off on me, gossip about me,
won’t cooperate with me, try to take my job, I do forgive them.
My
NEIGHBORS need to be forgiven, Lord. For all their noise, letting their property
run down, not tying up their dogs who run through my yard, not taking in their
trash barrels, being prejudiced and running down the neighborhood, I do forgive
them.
I do forgive my CLERGYMAN, my CONGREGATION and my CHURCH for their lack of
support, affirmation, bad sermons, pettiness, lack of friendliness, not
providing me or my family with the inspiration we needed, for any hurts they
have inflicted on me or my family, even in the distant past, I forgive them
today.
Lord,
I forgive all those who are of different PERSUASIONS, those of opposite
political views who have attacked me, ridiculed me, discriminated against me,
made fun of me, economically hurt me.
I
forgive those of different religious DENOMINATIONS AND BELIEFS who have harassed
me, attacked me, argued with me, forced their view on me or my family.
Those
who have harmed me ETHNICALLY, have discriminated against me, mocked me, made
jokes about my race or nationality, hurt my family physically, emotionally or
economically, I do forgive them today.
Lord,
I forgive all PROFESSIONAL PEOPLE who have hurt me in any way: doctors, nurses,
lawyers, judges, politicians and civil servants.
I
forgive all service people: policemen, firemen, bus drivers, hospital workers
and especially repairmen who have taken advantage of me in their work.
Lord,
I forgive my EMPLOYER for not paying me enough money, for not appreciating my
work, for being unkind and unreasonable with me, for being angry or unfriendly,
for not promoting me, and for not complimenting me on my work.
Lord,
I forgive my SCHOOL TEACHERS AND INSTRUCTORS of the past as well as the present.
For those who punished me, humiliated me, insulted me, treated me unjustly, made
fun of me, called me dumb or stupid, made me stay after school, I truly forgive
them today.
Lord,
I forgive my FRIENDS who have let me down, lost contact with me, do not support
me, were not available when I needed help, borrowed money and did not return it,
gossiped about me.
Lord
Jesus, I especially pray for the grace of forgiveness for the ONE PERSON in life
who has HURT ME THE MOST.
I
ask to forgive anyone who I consider my greatest enemy, the one who is the
hardest to forgive or the one who I said I will never forgive.
Lord,
I beg pardon of all these people for the hurt I have inflicted on them,
especially my mother and father, and my marriage partner. I am especially sorry
for the three greatest hurts I have inflicted on each of these.
Thank You, Jesus, that I am being freed of the evil of unforgiveness. Let Your
Holy Spirit fill me with light and let every dark area of my mind be
enlightened.
AMEN.
Forgiveness is an act of the will, not a feeling. If we pray for a person, we
can be assured that we have forgiven that person. To help accept an individual
and open ourselves to a particular person more, picture him with the Lord Jesus
and say to the Lord, "I love him because You love him. I forgive him
because You forgive him."
Forgiveness is a life-long obligation. Daily we need to forgive those who hurt
or injure us.
From the book by Father Robert
DeGrandis S.S.J. and Betty Tapscott:
Forgiveness & Inner Healing