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Restoration Of Peter Prayer

A short, Scripture-shaped bible story prayer for an ordinary moment of Christian faith.

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The prayer

A prayer to pray now

Lord Jesus,

You asked Simon Peter three times, "Do You love me?" You asked once for each time he had said he did not know You. Peter answered You each time. Then You gave him a charge: feed my lambs, tend my sheep, feed my sheep. On that beach, over a fire and a meal, You did not scold him. You restored him. You gave him love and then You gave him work.

That order is good news to me. You do not wait for me to fix myself. You ask me if I love You. The work You have for me flows from that answer.

So here is my question back to You: Do I love You? Press me on it. Let me answer You honestly. Then send me. Give me the work You have for me today. I know my own denials. I know my own failures. But You are the God who restores. You took the man who failed in the courtyard and filled him with power at Pentecost. You can do the same in me.

Begin in me the same way. Love first. Then the charge. I am Yours.

Amen.

How to pray it

  1. Read it slowly. Move through this prayer one line at a time, out loud if you can, letting each phrase land before the next.
  2. Make it personal. Pause where a line meets your day and name the person, fear, or hope it touches before God.
  3. 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.

  1. So when they had eaten their breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than these?”
    John 21:15
  2. He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me?”
    John 21:16
  3. He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you have affection for me?”
    John 21:17

Questions about this prayer

When should I pray restoration of 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 John 21:15, John 21:16, John 21:17. 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.