David’s Prayer For Forgiveness
Dear God, we pray for your mercy and forgiveness. We acknowledge the shortcomings in our lives, and we humbly ask you to blot them out. We know that you forgave us before we were even born into this world, but it takes time for our hearts to change. Help us be patient with ourselves as we continue to learn from our own mistakes and others’ mistakes around us. Amen.
Psalm 51:1-9 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are justified when you speak and blameless when you judge.
For David, the act of forgiveness was not one-dimensional—it was multi-dimensional. The act of forgiveness required God’s mercy, love, compassion and willingness to forgive David’s sins (Psalm 51:1). But it also required God’s desire to remove his sin (Psalm 51:2). When we consider our own sins against others we should be quick to extend this same kind of grace towards them unless there is some evidence that indicates otherwise (Matthew 7:1-5).
Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
For God is merciful, forgiving, and faithful. Forgive me. Wash me clean of my transgressions! Forgive me for the sins I have committed against you.
I repent of these things and ask for forgiveness; please hear my prayer!
For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
To be forgiven, you must first recognize and acknowledge your sin. This is not always an easy thing to do. It can be difficult for us to look at ourselves with clear eyes, but it is so important that we do this if we want to live a life free from the burden of guilt and shame. We must see our own weaknesses before we can start changing them, and seeing our mistakes are often the first step toward repentance.
David did not say “I am sorry” or “I regret what I have done” in this prayer; instead he said “I know my transgressions” because he understood that there was no point in apologizing without knowing why he needed to apologize in the first place. The truth is that every person who has ever lived has made mistakes—every single one of us—and recognizing those mistakes allows us to begin taking responsibility for them (which then enables true repentance).
Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.
God is just, he will forgive you. God’s judgement is perfect, it is righteous and merciful. He knows what you have done in secret and he has forgiven you already. David speaks of his sins openly and freely to God, because he knows that God alone can forgive him for his wrongdoings. Only through faith in Jesus’ work on the cross can we be forgiven for our sins, this includes all the things we have done wrong in our lives since then as well!
Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
The Lord is mighty to save. He has shown strength with his arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart. He has thrown down from their thrones the rulers of earth and raised up the humble. From prison he released those who were bound; from their chains he set free those who were captive. The eyes of the blind shall see, and ears that are deaf will be opened. The tongue with speech impediment shall sing for joy, for waters shall break forth in the wilderness, streams in desert land; this highland shall be like a forest, and its first fruits like grape clusters where leaves grow on vines.” – Isaiah 35:4-7
Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place.
God’s desire to forgive us is unending. God’s desire to teach us is unending. And God’s desire for our companionship is unending.
The Psalmist tells us that he was taught wisdom in that secret place, where the Spirit of God empowered him with faithfulness, even while still in his mother’s womb.
God gives us unending forgiveness
God’s mercy is new every morning. It is great, and it is everlasting. God’s mercy is unending, unlimited, unconditional and undeserved. The Father has shown His love for us by sending His Son to live among us as one of us and to die in our place so that we can be reconciled with Him through the blood of Jesus Christ (1 John 4:10).
God’s forgiveness is eternal; therefore no matter how many times you fall or fail in your life – you can always come back to His grace today!
We can trust in God and His mercy. He is always ready to forgive us. He has promised that those who come to Him in faith will find forgiveness and salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. We can pray this prayer today as we seek peace with God and man because it reminds us of His great love for us and our need to repent from sin