When we commit sins, whether out of greed, hunger, desperation, or something else, we often do not think about the weight of our actions and their consequences. We sin again and again, thinking less of the evil that is seeping into our lives and instead focusing on the temporary happiness and false riches and power that they offer us.
Then, just like how a child avoid their parents when they do something wrong, so do we turn away from God and hide from His gaze. Yet He sees all and sees all of us as we truly are: sinful and stained. Despite it all, He continues to graciously bless us beyond measure, even though we often fail to thank Him and appreciate the little but powerful blessings in life.
These prayers for prisoners will help us find the way back to God and seek His forgiveness for all the wrongdoings, no matter how grave, for He is just and merciful as long as we are genuine and loyal to Him.
Prisoner prayer
God, my Merciful King, and Heavenly Judge,
You’ve seen my crimes and my sins, and now, I beg You to look down on me with mercy and with a soft heart. I am a repentant sinner, and while I cannot hide the stains of my past mistakes, I lift my hands to You and offer my life in Your glory and honor. Wash away my sin and free me from the chains of my guilt, O Lord, and lead me to salvation.
I pray for a peaceful mind and a changed heart. Transform me into a new person, someone who will dutifully and loyally serve You and preach the Gospel to all nations. In the darkness of my prison cell, help me see the light: that alone with my sins, I can never achieve happiness, contentment, and success; but with You by my side, I will achieve all the victories I’ve only ever dreamed of.
Redeem my soul and those who are with me today in prison so that we may all realize that we all have one thing in common: we thirst for Your Word and Your presence in our lives. Make Your presence known to us and set our tongues ablaze not with profanities nor lies but with the Gospel, just like You did with Your loyal people who gathered on the day of Pentecost.
As I end this short prayer for prisoners, I long for the day when I can finally step through the gates of Heaven and marvel at its glory, for I am a sinner saved by grace.
Amen.
Short prisoner prayer for redemption
Merciful Redeemer, have mercy on Your child and forgive me, for I have sinned countless times. May I come out of prison and begin anew: not as a criminal, but as a person changed by grace and faith. May You protect me from temptation and free me from my guilt. May Your blood wash away my guilt and cleanse me at last. Amen.
The Word of God
When Jesus heard this, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician but those who are sick; I have not come to call the righteous but sinners.”
Mark 2:17 NRSVUE
The spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, to provide for those who mourn in Zion— to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, to display his glory.
Isaiah 61:1-3 NRSVUE
And the people stood by watching, but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.” One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom.” He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Luke 23:35-43 NRSVUE
Intercessory prayer to Saint Daniel
Saint Daniel, patron of prisoners like me,
You’ve known my gravest sins and my most hateful crimes. You’ve known how evil took hold of me and how I gave in to the devil’s sinful temptations. Yet here, in the cold, dark loneliness of prison, tendrils of hopelessness and guilt seep into my heart, somehow telling me to turn back to the Lord through prayer to you.
I ask for the strength of faith. Alone, I am vulnerable, but with you watching over me and protecting me from sinful thoughts, I will be able to stand against any test of faith. Turn me away from the devil’s temptations, for I am not a child of the devil but a child of God, and He alone can command me. May you join me on bended knee as I ask for the Lord’s mercy and forgiveness. I pray that when the day of judgment comes, I will not face Him as a sinner or prisoner but as a man changed and saved by His amazing grace.
I pray for all inmates and prisoners that they, too, may find God in the darkest moments of their lives and realize that it is only Jesus Christ who can save us all. Saint Daniel, may you hear my prayers for prisoners and ask the Lord to have mercy on all of us. May He change us for the better and turn us into His faithful followers and blessed children.
Saint Daniel, pray for my salvation and those of my brethren. Amen.
Further reflection
Many of us have, at some point in our lives, felt like we are too far gone ever to be forgiven by God. We looked at ourselves and all our sins, guilt, and imperfections and realized that it was far too late to return to the Lord, so we stayed away instead.
When Jesus was nailed to the cross, two thieves were crucified next to Him. One of them questioned whether Jesus truly was the Messiah that God promised to the world and told Him to save them from their execution to prove that He was the Promised One. The other thief rebuked the first thief’s accusation and proclaimed that Jesus was the one true Messiah and did not ask to be saved from punishment. Instead, he uttered a profound dying wish: that Jesus would remember him when He came into His kingdom. At that very moment, while nailed to the cross, the Good Thief was granted the gift of salvation.
This story tells us a very important lesson: for as long as there is life in our bodies and blood courses through our veins, it is never too late to surrender our burdens and guilt to the Lord and ask for redemption. As long as we are repentant sinners and are willing to lay down our burdens, our troubles, and our lives to Him, He will never close the door on us. So do not turn away from the Lord just because we are sinful or unworthy; instead, turn these perceptions of ourselves into the biggest reasons why we should seek Him. Talk to Him through this prayer, make a good confession, repent, and exert effort into upholding holiness and righteousness, and our guilt and sins will no longer matter, for His blood will wash them all away. When the time comes, we will enter the gates of Heaven and forget about the sinner we once were, for He has broken our chains and set us free.
