Bible story
Peter’s Denial Prayer
A short, Scripture-shaped bible story prayer for an ordinary moment of Christian faith.
The prayer
A prayer to pray now
Lord Jesus, Peter stood in the courtyard and said, I do not know Him. Three times he denied You. A rooster crowed. You turned and looked at him, and Peter went out and wept bitterly. He was the one who said he would die with You, and yet he could not admit knowing You to a servant girl. That story gives me hope, because if You could restore Peter, You can restore me too. My failures on my worst days are not the end of my story. The look You gave Peter was not one of dismissal. It was the look that broke him in the right direction, toward You. Look at me with that same look when I have denied You in the smaller ways I usually do. Break me toward repentance, not toward despair. You met Peter on the beach and gave him breakfast and gave him back his calling. Restore me, too. 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.
Again he denied it with an oath, “I don’t know the man.”
Matthew 26:72
Questions about this prayer
When should I pray peter’s denial 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 Matthew 26:72. 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.