Bible story
Cornelius And Peter Prayer
A short, Scripture-shaped bible story prayer for an ordinary moment of Christian faith.
The prayer
A prayer to pray now
Father, You show no favoritism. You do not take sides. You welcome everyone who comes to You.
Peter had to learn that. He had a vision of a sheet full of animals, which he thought were unclean. But You told him not to call unclean what You had made clean. Then messengers came from Cornelius, a Roman soldier. Peter went to his house. The good news broke through a wall that had kept people apart.
Lord, the walls I have built between me and others are often the walls You want me to cross. Send me a Cornelius. Send me to someone I have kept outside my circle. Someone I have thought was not for me. But You have already been preparing their heart to receive me.
Cure the Peter in me. I still hold a sheet of people I think are unclean. I still have a list of who is in and who is out. But You have cleansed what I thought was unclean. You have made new what I thought was off limits.
The house I would not enter is the house You are sending me into. Give me the courage to walk through that door today.
Amen.
How to pray it
- Read it slowly. Move through this prayer one line at a time, out loud if you can, letting each phrase land before the next.
- Make it personal. Pause where a line meets your day and name the person, fear, or hope it touches before God.
- Carry it with you. Keep one sentence with you — on your phone or in your pocket — and return to it when the day gets loud.
Verses to pray
Pray these slowly, one line at a time. Scripture quoted from a public-domain translation.
Peter opened his mouth and said, “Truly I perceive that God doesn’t show favoritism;
Acts 10:34A voice came to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed, you must not call unclean.”
Acts 10:15
Questions about this prayer
When should I pray cornelius and peter prayer?
Pray it whenever the words fit your moment — at the start of the day, in a hard stretch, or when you simply want to turn toward God.
Which Bible verses anchor this prayer?
This prayer is anchored in Acts 10:34, Acts 10:15. The "Verses to pray" section above quotes them in full.
Can I save or share this prayer?
Yes. Use the Copy prayer button to copy the words, or open the Chosen Portion app to keep a daily prayer, devotional, and Scripture with you.