On the Road to Forgiveness: Forgiving God

Take a deep breath. Remember: even when life feels confusing, God has a plan.

Have you ever felt let down by God? Maybe even angry at God? Is that okay? It’s a question many of us hesitate to ask, but it’s an honest one. When prayers seem unanswered or suffering feels overwhelming, our faith can be shaken. To restore faith in a loving creator, forgive.

Traditions across the world insist God is perfect and good, yet they also give us language to bring disappointment, grief, and doubt into prayer. Lament, questioning, and crying out are part of the spiritual journey. Whether in the devastation of wildfires, the suffering of children, the pain of violence in our communities, or the heartbreak of war and personal loss, we may wonder: If God is loving and all-powerful, why does this happen? We may never have full answers to that mystery, but forgiveness towards God, the universe, the Ultimate can help us heal spiritually.

Forgiving God Heals Us

While many traditions teach that God cannot ‘need’ forgiveness, they also give us ways to express our pain when life feels unfair, through lament, prayer, patience, or surrender. In Islam, for example, dua (personal supplication) invites believers to bring every feeling, even confusion, anger, or disappointment, directly to God. Similarly, in Christianity, believers are invited to bring their grief and questions before God as part of a faithful relationship with the transcendent. Practices like these remind us that speaking honestly about our struggles is part of spiritual life.

Psychologists have also studied what’s called anger toward God, finding that it is a common response to suffering and can harm well-being if left unresolved. (1) (2) Forgiving God, then, is less about excusing God, or the bad in the world, and more about releasing the bitterness that keeps us anxious and upset. Practicing forgiveness towards God is a way of moving toward inner peace and opening ourselves again to trust, resilience, and the ongoing commitments of faith.

While forgiveness shapes our overall spiritual health, forgiving God centrally supports the Transcendence and Spirituality facet of spiritual health. Transcendence lifts us toward a higher love and unity, helping us hold life’s pain within a larger story we can’t fully see. From war to personal tragedy, some suffering will never make sense in the short term and perhaps not even across a lifetime. Forgiving God acknowledges this mystery. It is an act of humility that admits, “I don’t know why,” while still choosing to trust in a divine love beyond our understanding. In doing so, we make space for healing, for peace, and for receiving God’s love and a renewed love toward ourselves, toward God, and toward others. Now let’s practice grace and forgiveness towards the divine.

A Spiritual Practice for Forgiving God

Forgiving God is a proven way to grapple with disappointment, suffering, or unanswered prayers that challenge our faith. (1) (3) Practicing this form of forgiveness allows us to express our grief and confusion, release frustration, and renew our relationship with the sacred.

In a journal or during prayer, try one of the most recommended practices to forgive God: (4) (5)

Step 0: Take a breath and know that it’s okay.

Before you begin, remind yourself that feeling anger, grief, or disappointment toward God, does not make you faithless or a bad person. These negative emotions are part of being human, and acknowledging them is the first step toward spiritual healing and connection.

Step 1: Name the struggle.

Bring into focus what feels broken between you and God. Recall the hurt. You might think:

“Where did I feel abandoned?” “What pain makes me doubt God’s love or presence?”

Step 2: Express how you feel.

Allow yourself to voice the pain, anger, or confusion. Notice how you feel. In many traditions, reflecting on hurt and suffering is not weakness, it is a strength of faith. You might say:

“God, I don’t understand why this happened.” “I feel angry, let down, hurt, confused.”

“Why were You silent when I (or others) needed You?” “Why do bad things happen?”

Now, pause to recognize that as humans, we cannot see the whole picture. This requires humility and perspective. Faith traditions remind us that there is mystery in why suffering happens and that our role is not to solve every “why,” but to trust and remain open to a loving divine order.

Step 3: Release bitterness.

Forgiving God means letting go of the bitterness that prevents you from healing. It’s okay not to be okay with all of the world’s suffering and hardship–that’s a positive sign that you care and love deeply. With that love, extend grace to God and those beings that were wronged. A gentle reminder might be:

“I may never understand, but I release this resentment and pain so I can find peace.”

Step 4: Renew trust.

Close with an act of recommitment and love, however small. This might be a prayer of surrender, a scripture or mantra that reminds you of hope, or even a symbolic action (like lighting a candle). Since God is forgiving, this practice can be seen as a faithful act. You might say:

“Help me find humility, knowing that Your love is bigger than my understanding.”

“I choose to leave this pain in Your hands.” “I forgive, trust, and love you.”

Step 5: Hold the practice.

These feelings may return. Suffering endures. That doesn’t mean you or God have failed. Each time you become overwhelmed in the face of suffering, repeat the rhythm: name the hurt → express yourself → release → renew.

Forgiving God is a way of re-centering yourself in transcendent love and perspective. This opens the path to peace, humility, and spiritual growth. Start where you are and let forgiving God lead you into healing and a deeper love today.

For more reading, see:

References

Exline, J. J., Park, C. L., Smyth, J. M., & Carey, M. P. (2011). Anger toward God: Social–cognitive predictors, prevalence, and links with adjustment to bereavement and cancer. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 100(1), 129–148. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0021716
Supplemental material for the religious and spiritual struggles scale: Development and initial validation. (2014). Psychology of Religion and Spirituality. 6(3), 208–222. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0036465.supp
Heim, S. M. (2022). Monotheism and forgiveness. Cambridge University Press.
Worthington, E. L., Jr. (2006). The path to forgiveness: Six practical sections for becoming a more forgiving person: Self-directed learning workbook: An intervention to promote forgiveness. Virginia Commonwealth University.
Worthington, E. L., & van Zyl, L. E. (2021). The future of evidence-based temperance interventions. Frontiers in Psychology, 12(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.707598