Anyone searching for a prayer for lust is probably somewhere on that line. These prayers are for the moment of temptation, for after a fall, and for the long work of a clean heart. They are honest about how hard it is.
Historical Context
Augustine’s story ends well. In a garden in Milan in 386, he finally gave in to grace, and he became a bishop and a Doctor of the Church. His feast is 28 August. He is a good saint to ask for help precisely because he did not find it easy.
A Prayer in the Moment of Temptation
Lord Jesus, I am being tempted right now.
Turn my eyes away.
Give me the strength to stand up, leave the room, put the phone down.
I want you more than I want this, even if I can’t feel it yet.
St Joseph, guardian of purity, pray for me.
Amen.
Pray it, then move. Most victories over temptation are won by changing where you are, not by arguing with the thought.
A Prayer for a Clean Heart
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Heal what I have seen and what I have imagined.
Teach me to see people as you see them,
as persons, not as objects.
Make my love generous instead of grasping.
Amen.
A Prayer for Forgiveness After Falling
Lord, I fell again.
I am ashamed, and I am tired of saying sorry for the same thing.
But you are not tired of forgiving.
Wash me, and let me start again today.
Lead me to confession, and give me a friend to be honest with.
Amen.
A Prayer to St Augustine
St Augustine, you know this struggle from the inside.
You prayed “not yet,” and God waited for you.
Pray for me that my “not yet” becomes “now.”
Amen.
Best Times for This Prayer
- The moment a temptation starts, before it builds.
- Late at night, alone, when the struggle is usually hardest.
- Before and after confession.
- Each morning, as part of a plan with an accountability partner.
- On 28 August, the feast of St Augustine.
Scripture Connection
“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” — Psalm 51:10
David wrote Psalm 51 after his adultery with Bathsheba. It is the prayer of a man who did far worse than look, and who still asked for a clean heart and expected to receive one. No fall puts you outside this psalm.
Related prayers
For the patron of purity, see the Saint Joseph Prayer. To prepare for confession, the Prayer Before Confession, and for a fuller prayer of sorrow, the Repentance Prayer. Augustine’s own prayer to the Holy Spirit is on the Saint Augustine Prayer page.