From The Bridge of Stars
The following prayers are from the beautiful book: The Bridge of Stars by Marcus Baybrooke, Duncan Baird Publishers, London 2001 (The numbers are the prayer numbers, not pages.)
The abolition of resentment – I have forgotten where the hatchet is buried. – 273 Modern meditation from New Mexico, USA
One pure heart – The prayer of one pure heart, I think, has the power to atone for many. – 274 Sophocles (c496-406 bce), Athens
Transgressions – All that we ought to have thought and have not thought; All that we ought to have Spoken and have not spoken; All that we ought to have done and have not done; All that we ought not to have thought and yet have thought; All that we ought not to have spoken and yet have spoken; All that we ought not to have done and yet have done; | For thoughts, words and works, pray we, O God, for forgiveness, And repent with penance. – 275, From the Zend-Avesta (6th century BCE), a Zoroastrian text, Persia
O Lord, forgive. Our insensitivity to the needs of others, O Lord, forgive. Our prejudice and fear that prevent us from loving, O Lord, forgive. The narrowness of our vision and our shrinking from your demands, O Lord, forgive. Our resentment against those who have hurt us, O Lord, forgive. Our desire to do your work in our way, O Lord, forgive. Our impatience with those who are different from us, O Lord, forgive. Our failure to listen properly to other points of view, O Lord, forgive. Our fear of coming out of the fortress of our own souls into fuller life and deeper love, O Lord, forgive. – 276 Modern prayer from Toronto, Canada
The Magician – We admire the magician who makes doves disappear. In defiance of what some people call common sense, and what other people call being true to one’s feelings, I make my grievances disappear. I do not admire myself for this, nor expect anyone else to admire me. – 277 Modern affirmation from Helsinki, Finland
Prayer for Guidance – Forgive, O Lord, what we have been, Direct what we are, And order what we shall be, For your mercy’s sake. – 278 Modern prayer, anonymous
Love in Forgiveness – I forgive you for what you have said and done. I forgive you for what you believe to be true. I forgive you for making light of the hurt you have caused. I forgive you for not saying sorry. I do not withhold my love. If I ever do so, please forgive me. – 279 Modern prayer from Tel Aviv, Israel
The Inner Temple – First, I enter my inner temple, sprinkle waters from the sacred basin in a pure act of forgiveness. Next, to complete my forgiveness, I open wide the doors of my inner temple to the one I have forgiven. – 280 Modern prayer from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
On a lovely small framed picture produced by Abbey Press: Prayer of Forgiveness Help me, God, to move beyond my reactions and make the healing choice to forgive. May your love warm my heart so I can reclaim the freedom and peace that come with forgiveness.
From A Chaplain’s Companion
The following prayers are from: A Chaplain’s Companion by Judith Joseph, 2002b
This is a book highly recommended for any type of chaplain dealing with people of different religions.
Islamic Forgiveness prayer : O God! Behold, I beg of Thee peace in this world and the Hereafter. O God! Behold, I beg of Thee forgiveness and safety in my faith, in my world, in my household and in my wealth. O God! Cover my defects, and give me peace from my apprehension. O God! Forgive me my delinquency and my ignorance, my immoderation in my concerns, and also that fault of mine whereof Thou art better aware than myself. O God! Forgive me my earnestness and my sport, my error and my design. All these failings are in me. O God! Forgive me for that which I hasten and for that which I defer, for that which I conceal and for that which I reveal; also for that fault of mine whereof Thou art better aware than myself. Thou art the Deferrer, and over all things Thou art Omnipotent.
Christian Confession of Sin- Almighty and most merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from Thy ways like lost sheep, we have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts, we have offended against they holy laws, we have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done. But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us, spare thou those who confess their faults, restore thou those who are penitent, according to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord; and grant, O most merciful Father, for His sake, that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of Thy holy Name. Amen.
From Prayers For All People
Prayers For All People by Mary Ford-Grabowsky, Doubleday, 1995, P217
A Jain Prayer for Forgiveness – For violence I have committed mentally, for violence I have committed verbally, for violence I have committed physically, I ask forgiveness.