Psalm 51
David's prayer of repentance — "Create in me a clean heart, O God."
Have mercy upon me, O God,
according to thy lovingkindness:
according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies
blot out my transgressions.
Wash me throughly from mine iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions:
and my sin is ever before me.
Create in me a clean heart, O God;
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy presence;
and take not thy holy spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation;
and uphold me with thy free spirit.
Amen.
About this prayer
Psalm 51 is the prayer David wrote after the prophet Nathan confronted him over his sin with Bathsheba. It is the rawest prayer of repentance in the Bible — no excuses, no bargaining, just a man asking to be remade. The church has prayed it together every Ash Wednesday for centuries.
When to pray it
When you have done the thing you said you would never do. When you need to be honest about your part. Before confession or any new beginning.