Prayer for Meekness and Forgiveness

O loving God, who Thyself art Love, and who wouldest shed abroad Thy love within our hearts through the Holy Ghost! I confess unto Thee with heartfelt sorrow, that my heart is ofttimes rebellious and intractable. It ought to be humble, loving, meek, and gentle when my enemy pursues, hates, and persecutes me. But alas! instead of these needful Christian virtues, I find hatred, anger, revengefulness and enmity, prompting me to threaten those who injure me, and to revenge myself upon those who have unjustly attacked me.

But when I learn from Thy holy Word, that those who do such things shall not enter into the kingdom of God, and that such conduct toward my enemies is unbecoming a child of God and a Christian: I realize with dismay that I am still affected by the ways of Satan, who is revengeful, malicious and irreconcilable. But I beseech Thee to have mercy upon me, Thou gracious God, and to give me Thy Holy Spirit, that He may purify my heart, and cleanse me from all malice and revengefulness. Help me to look always upon the example of my Lord Jesus, who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; who, when He suffered, threatened not to revenge Himself upon His enemies in the future, but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously.

O grant me such a quiet, meek and peaceable mind, that I may not retain malice or bitterness in my heart, nor let the sun go down upon my wrath; but that, before the night comes on and I fall asleep, I may always forgive my enemies from the heart. When my enemy scorns me, give me grace to act as if I were deaf and dumb, and could neither hear nor make reply. Enable me to rejoice and wish him well when he is prosperous, and to help and befriend him when adversity befalls him.

Preserve me, that I may not manifest enmity toward anyone in words or deeds, but may be merciful in heart, friendly and sincere in speech, kind in actions, and ready to do good to my enemies as well as to all other men. Let me not, by an unforgiving spirit, hinder my prayers and make void all my worship and service. Grant that, even as I would that Thou shouldest forgive me, so I may from the heart forgive all those who trespass against me, lest I daily pray against myself in the Lord’s Prayer. Bestow upon me the blessing which Thou hast promised to the meek: “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” Through Thy Holy Spirit, subdue in me the evil lusts which war against this Christian virtue; so that I may live and die as Thy child, and at last, by Thy grace, may be transported to the home of peace in heaven. Amen.