Asking God for forgiveness is an act of humility and love that opens us to the grace of reconciliation. As the Church teaches us, “the Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love” (Psalm 103:8). No matter how far we feel we have been from Him, His mercy is always within our reach. What better way to prepare ourselves than with prayers to ask God for forgiveness and then attend the sacrament of confession?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us that “there is no sin so grave that it cannot be forgiven” (CCC 982) because God’s heart is always ready to welcome those who sincerely repent.
The Catholic tradition offers us beautiful prayers to ask God for forgiveness and psalms that help us open our hearts, recognize our faults, and approach the Father’s embrace. These words are not just empty formulas but living expressions of faith, hope, and repentance. As we pray them, we join generations of believers who, like the prodigal son, have experienced the tenderness of God, who always awaits our return.
In this article, you will find some of the most powerful and well-known prayers to ask God for forgiveness in your personal prayer, during confession, or in moments of reflection. Let these words guide you towards a renewing encounter with God’s infinite mercy.
You can use the Catholic Mass Times app to find the nearest Catholic church with Mass, Confession, and Adoration schedules. It will surely help you! Download it now.
Psalms and Prayers to Ask God for Forgiveness:
1. I Confess – Confiteor
The I Confess is prayed at the beginning of Mass, but you can also use it in your personal prayer to acknowledge your faults before God and the community of the Church, all believers. The I Confess is one of the prayers for forgiveness that helps us be aware that sin affects our relationship with God and others.
I confess to almighty God and to you,
my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned,
in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and
in what I have failed to do, through my fault, through
my fault, through my most grievous fault; therefore I ask
blessed Mary ever-Virgin, all the Angels and Saints,
Amen.
2. Act of Contrition
O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended You, and I detest all my sins because of Your just punishments, but most of all because they offend You, my God, Who are all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Your grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sin.
Amen.
3. Psalm 51 – Miserere
Psalm 51 is one of the most powerful penitential psalms. Attributed to King David after his sin with Bathsheba, it expresses deep and sincere repentance. It is one of the most perfect prayers for forgiveness to recite during Lent, on spiritual retreats, or when you feel the weight of sin in your heart.
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
Against you, you alone, have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are justified in your sentence
and blameless when you pass judgment.
Behold, I was born in iniquity,
and in sin my mother conceived me.
But You desire truth in the inmost being,
and in the secret heart You teach me wisdom.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness,
let the bones You have crushed rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence,
and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
and sinners will return to You.
Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare Your praise.
For You do not delight in sacrifice,
or I would bring it; You do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.
Do good to Zion in Your good pleasure;
build up the walls of Jerusalem.
Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices,
in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;
then bulls will be offered on Your altar.
4. Psalm 32 – Blessed is Forgiveness
Psalm 32 speaks of the joy and freedom experienced when receiving God’s forgiveness. It is ideal to pray after confession, as a way to thank for divine mercy and reaffirm the inner peace felt when being reconciled with Him.
It is also one of the powerful prayers for asking forgiveness for moments when you need to remember that God’s forgiveness is a free gift that renews the soul. Praying this psalm helps us value the relief that grace brings and motivates us to live with a grateful heart and trust in the Lord’s goodness.
Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them
and in whose spirit is no deceit.When I kept silent, my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
For day and night your hand was heavy on me;
my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.”
And you forgave the guilt of my sin.Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found;
surely the rising of the mighty waters
will not reach them.
You are my hiding place; you will protect me from troubleand surround me with songs of deliverance.
The Lord says: “I will instruct you
and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle
or they will not come to you.”
Many are the woes of the wicked,
but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him.Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;
sing, all you who are upright in heart!
5. Psalm 130 – De Profundis
Psalm 130 is a plea that comes from the depths of the heart. It is ideal for moments of spiritual anguish, when you feel you have hit rock bottom and need the light of God’s mercy. It is also used in prayers for the deceased, asking for the Lord’s mercy for the souls in purgatory.
Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord;
Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.If You, Lord, kept a record of sins,
who, Lord, could stand?
But with You there is forgiveness so that You may be feared.I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits;
in His word I put my hope.
I wait for the Lord with all my soul, more than
the watchmen wait for the morning.
More than the watchmen wait for the morning,
Israel, put your hope in the Lord,
for with the Lord is unfailing love; with Him is
full redemption.
He Himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.
You can use the Catholic Mass Times app to find the nearest Catholic church with Mass, Confession, and Adoration schedules. It will surely help you! Download it now.
Let us remember that God never tires of forgiving us; it is we who sometimes tire of asking for forgiveness. Saint John Paul II expressed it profoundly: “Do not be afraid to approach Christ. He is the face of the Father’s mercy”. Each prayer for forgiveness, each psalm, is an opportunity to return to Him with confidence and hope, knowing that “a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise” (Psalm 51:17).
No matter how great the burden we carry, His love is even greater. Confession, prayer, and sincere repentance allow us to experience the peace that only God’s forgiveness can give. May these prayers for asking God’s forgiveness accompany you on your spiritual journey, helping you recognize that the Lord’s mercy is eternal and that there is always a place for you in His heart. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
How to Ask God for Forgiveness from the Heart?
Asking God for forgiveness from the heart involves an act of humility and sincerity, recognizing our faults and approaching Him in the sacrament of confession with true repentance. It’s not just about reciting prayers, but doing so with a contrite heart, aware that we have offended a God who is infinitely good and merciful.
Prayers such as the Act of Contrition or the Prayer of Sorrow help express that inner pain for sin, but what’s essential is that those words reflect a real desire to change, to avoid sin, and to trust in God’s grace to be better. Sincere repentance is born from love for God, not just from fear of punishment.
Which Psalm is for Asking Forgiveness?
One of the most powerful psalms for asking forgiveness is Psalm 51 (Miserere), which expresses deep repentance for sins committed. Attributed to King David after recognizing his fault, this psalm cries out to God’s mercy, asking Him to cleanse the sinner’s heart and renew a right spirit within him.
Also Psalm 32 and Psalm 130 (De Profundis) are beautiful pleas for those seeking the peace of divine forgiveness. These psalms can be prayed in moments of personal reflection, before confession, or when we feel the need to reconcile with God.
What is the Prayer of Repentance?
The quintessential prayer of repentance is the Act of Contrition, which is especially prayed in the sacrament of confession. This prayer expresses sorrow for having offended God and the firm purpose of not sinning again.
However, the Prayer of Sorrow is also a deeply rooted prayer in Catholic tradition that reflects sincere regret for sin, more for having offended God than for fear of the consequences of sin. Both prayers are powerful means to open the heart to the grace of divine mercy.
How to Ask for Forgiveness with Beautiful Words?
Asking for forgiveness with beautiful words doesn’t mean adorning repentance with empty phrases, but expressing with sincerity and humility what is in the heart. Traditional prayers like the Confiteor, the Act of Contrition, or Psalm 51 are full of spiritual beauty that comes from the truth and depth of repentance.
However, you can also speak to God in your own words, saying something as simple and honest as: “Lord, it hurts me to have failed You. Forgive me, help me to change and live according to Your will.” The beauty of the words lies in the authenticity with which they come from the heart.
Why Should I Go to Confession?
We must go to confession because Jesus instituted the sacrament of reconciliation as a concrete means to receive forgiveness of sins. In the Gospel of John, Jesus confers on the apostles the authority to forgive sins, saying: “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven” (John 20:22-23).
Although it is important to ask God for forgiveness from the heart, sacramental confession gives us the certainty of that forgiveness through the absolution of the priest, who acts in the person of Christ.
Additionally, the act of confessing our sins aloud helps us recognize our responsibility, grow in humility, and receive the grace necessary to fight against sin. It is a personal encounter with God’s mercy that renews our soul and strengthens our commitment to live in His grace.
Does God Forgive All Sins?
Yes, God forgives all sins if there is sincere repentance and a heart willing to change. The Catechism of the Catholic Church clearly states: “There is no offense, however serious, that the Church cannot forgive” (CCC 982). God’s mercy is infinite, and His desire is that all His children be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4).
However, to receive that forgiveness, it is necessary to recognize the sin, repent from the heart, and turn to the sacrament of confession. The only sin that cannot be forgiven is the so-called “sin against the Holy Spirit,” which consists of deliberately rejecting God’s mercy, refusing to repent. As long as there is a heart willing to turn to Him, God is always willing to forgive.
