Forgiveness
Prayer to Forgive Someone
For the grace to release what has been held too long.
This is a prayer to forgive someone — gathered for the moments when you need the right words. Below you'll find 3 traditions side by side, with scripture, a short note on each, and a few situational prayers for everyday use.
Compiled by the editors of A Prayer for Everything · Updated April 2026
Why pray this prayer
When you search for a prayer to forgive someone, you're rarely looking for theology — you're looking for words to carry something heavy. Naming what you feel, out loud or in silence, is itself an act of trust: that someone is listening, that the situation is not yours alone to fix.
The prayers below have been used by people in the same place you are now — frightened, hopeful, grieving, grateful, uncertain. Pick the one that meets you today. You can pray word-for-word, paraphrase it, or let a single line become your own.
Christian Prayers for A Prayer to Forgive Someone
Drawn from the Christian tradition, grounded in the Hebrew and Greek scriptures and the prayer life of the church.
A Prayer to Forgive Someone
Lord, You have forgiven me much. Help me, in Your strength, to forgive (name). Soften my heart toward them, even if reconciliation is not possible. Free me from the weight I was never meant to carry. Amen.
Buddhist Prayers for A Prayer to Forgive Someone
Drawn from Buddhist practice, in the spirit of metta (loving-kindness) meditation and bodhisattva aspiration.
A Prayer to Forgive Someone
Whatever harm has been done to me, knowingly or unknowingly, I release it. May they be peaceful. May I be peaceful.
Multi-faith Prayers for A Prayer to Forgive Someone
Written in plain, universal language so it can be prayed by anyone, in any tradition or none.
A Prayer to Forgive Someone
I do not feel ready, but I am willing. Help me put down the stone I have been carrying. Not to excuse what was done, but to free my own hands for what comes next.
How to pray this prayer
- Find a quiet moment. Even 60 seconds is enough — first thing in the morning, last thing at night, or any pause in the day.
- Read the prayer once silently. Notice which line catches you. That line is yours today.
- Pray it aloud. Speaking the words — even in a whisper — makes the prayer feel less like reading and more like asking.
- Sit quietly for a moment after. Don't rush. Let the words settle. If a name or a face comes to mind, hold it there before you go on with your day.
When this prayer feels hard
Some days the words come easily. Other days you'll open this page and the prayer will feel hollow, or unanswered, or like you're talking to the ceiling. That doesn't mean you're praying wrong. It means you're a person.
When the prayer feels hard, try shortening it — even one honest line ("help me," "I don't understand," "thank you") is a complete prayer. If you're angry, pray angrily. If you're numb, pray the words anyway and let them do the work your feelings can't right now. Faith isn't measured by how the prayer feels in your mouth.