Last Updated on October 18, 2023 by Emma
Snow was falling and it was a Wednesday afternoon. I was getting ready for the business of the evening church ministries. As I rushed down the hall to grab art supplies for the kids I ran into a sweet friend.
We talked about life and the business of it. The conversation started to drift into additional struggles this friend was having. And then without even realizing, it we were talking about another friend.
I was swept up in the gossip and unfortunately added my opinion, which was not kind. I did not hold my thoughts captive. Within a moment we both went our busy ways and I didn’t think much about it.
Until later that evening I felt the guilt of gossiping. I knew that if that friend heard what I had said it would hurt her and I had hurt her reputation.
I did not want to apologize because she had not even heard the harsh words I spoke. I worried that apologizing would make things worse. I thought for a moment if I just apologized to the one who heard my words that would be sufficient. Or maybe the whole thing would just go away, my words weren’t that bad, I told myself.
But the guilt was not going away. The next week I went to the friend I had spoken poorly about. I explained the conversation and apologized for my words. She quickly forgave me, for she herself was a forgiven sinner saved by God’s grace and she loved to be able to extend that forgiveness to me.
This reminds me of David’s writing in Psalm 32 as he shares how he felt before confessing his sin to God:
For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah (Psalm 32:3-4 ESV)
The guilt in my life was heavy. I’m sure you have felt that way before too. Perhaps you feel that way right now as you seek prayers about guilt.
You may be like me and David and try to ignore, rationalize, or try to hide your sin. And worse we are tempted to be silent before God.
We are glad that you have recognized that the best first step when feeling guilt is to go to God. We hope that these prayers help turn you back to God and help you seek the forgiveness you need from the guilt you have been carrying from your unrepented sin.
Please comment below to let us know how we can be praying for you.
Short Prayer About Guilt
God, you know what I’ve done, for you are all-knowing. I know I can not hide from you. But my sin feels so big. You know the darkness inside me. The guilt I have is weighing heavy.
God, I confess to you my sin. _________(Confess your sins to God here)
I praise you that my forgiveness doesn’t depend on me, but rather it’s based on your love demonstrated for me on the cross. Thank you for dying for me even though you knew I would sin like this.
Jesus, I thank you for experiencing the wrath of God on my behalf so I might experience his mercy. You experienced the agony and shame and died in my place. You have given me joy and strength and life!
God, I ask that you help me now to have the boldness to apologize to the person I have sinned against. Help me to remove all pride from my life so I can humbly walk in obedience to you in this area.
Thank you, God, for removing this guilt from my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Prayer For Guilt And Regret
Dear Heavenly Father, I have sinned against another person. _________ (Confess your sin to God). I regret that I hurt this person.
I ask that you forgive me. I have felt the burden of guilt over this sin for too long. I want to be free of this guilt but I also want to no longer feel separated from you.
Please restore my relationship with you. Forgive me, redeem me, and allow me to move forward.
God, I ask that you give me the boldness to ask for forgiveness from this individual. I ask that you allow them to forgive me. Even if they do not forgive me allow me to seek it anyway knowing that is what you have called me to do.
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (James 5:16 ESV)
Heal me, Lord, from this sin, from this guilt. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Prayer For Anxiety And Guilt
God, I have committed a sin against you and your church. I have not been honoring what you have called me to. I feel a deep sense of guilt and my life is filling with anxiety.
Lord, I need to confess to you what I have done. _______ (Confess your sin)
God, I ask that you give me wisdom on how to move forward. I ask that you help me be selfless as I confess and truly see how it has grieved you. I ask that you help me to trust in you and allow me to not feel this anxiety anymore.
But I also ask that you do not leave me in my guilt and sorrow but that you restore me to right relationship with you. Forgive me, Lord.
I thank you that I can come to you because of what Christ has done on the cross. I also thank you that there is no guilt, no condemnation because I am forgiven in Christ.
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1 ESV)
Help me to seek after you and your will in my life. I know as I do this my anxiety and shame will fade away. Amen, Amen
Prayer For Guilt Conscience
God, I come to you because I have sinned. This sin has not hurt others and there is no one I must confess to but you. I feel the weight of the guilt because I know I have acted in a way that goes against what you have called me to.
My conscience, my soul longs for your forgiveness.
Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:18-20 ESV)
Father, I praise you for forgiving me without hesitation when I come to you and confess my sins. I thank you that you remove the guilt in my life. I pray that you help me to not be tempted anymore by this sin. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Praising God For Removing Guilt
God, I have experienced your freedom from the guilt in my life. You alone had the power to do this by your forgiveness. I thank you that no matter how big I felt my sin was you forgave me.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9 ESV)
Father, I ask that you help me not to sin anymore. I do not want to continue to seek after my own desires. I never want to experience this type of guilt again so I will be free from these temptations.
God, I praise you for all the wonderful things you have done in my life. Not having this guilt on my shoulders any longer has given me back my life and now I want to live it fully for you. I pray you help me to do this. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Closing Thoughts
As we look back at Psalm 32 we see that David’s words end in praise. How did he get there? We see what caused the change here;
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. Selah (Psalm 32:5 ESV)
David confesses his sin. This is the start of receiving God’s blessings and not feeling the weight of guilt anymore. What a beautiful last line in that verse when David recognizes that God forgave him.
We are so glad you are taking the steps to seek God as you deal with the guilt in your life. It will not always be easy seeking forgiveness from others because we deal in this fallen world. But we can be confident that when we go to God he forgives us without any delay, just as He did for David.
So continue to seek God, we are praying for you as you seek forgiveness from others and rid your life of guilt. Please comment below so we know how we can be praying for you during this time.