After falling from purity, pray this prayer of repentance

If purity is struggle for you and you have recently fallen from grace, pray this prayer.

Living a pure and chaste life is not always easy. Even when we try to resist certain temptations, our will power is often not enough and we fall.

While it’s easy to give up the fight and embrace our sins, the best response is to cry out to God in repentance. You may have to do this one time or 99 times before your heart is fully open to God’s grace. Either way, pray this prayer of David, who himself struggled with purity.

Have mercy on me, God, in accord with your merciful love;
in your abundant compassion blot out my transgressions.
Thoroughly wash away my guilt;
and from my sin cleanse me.
For I know my transgressions;
my sin is always before me.
Against you, you alone have I sinned;
I have done what is evil in your eyes
So that you are just in your word,
and without reproach in your judgment.
Behold, I was born in guilt,
in sin my mother conceived me.
Behold, you desire true sincerity;
and secretly you teach me wisdom.
Cleanse me with hyssop, that I may be pure;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
You will let me hear gladness and joy;
the bones you have crushed will rejoice. (Psalm 51:1-10)