# Prayers for Evil People: For Protection, a Change of Heart and Justice

Source: https://christianpure.com/learn/prayers-for-evil-people/
Publisher: Christian Pure (https://christianpure.com/)
Published: 2025-12-12
Updated: 2026-11-05

Christians pray two things about an evil person: that God will stop the harm, and that God will change the heart. A short prayer that asks both: “Lord, stop what [name] is planning, keep me and my family from harm, and turn [his or her] heart back to you. Amen.”

If someone is threatening or hurting you, get help as well as praying. If you are in danger now, call 911 in the US or 999 in the UK. In the US, the National Domestic Violence Hotline answers on 1-800-799-7233, or text START to 88788. In England, Refuge’s National Domestic Abuse Helpline is 0808 2000 247; in Scotland 0800 027 1234; in Wales, Live Fear Free 0808 80 10 800; in Northern Ireland 0808 802 1414. There are also [more Christian and crisis lines](https://christianpure.com/learn/christian-prayer-hotlines/).

## Does the Bible say to pray for evil people?

Yes. Jesus told his disciples, “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). He prayed that way himself on the cross: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Stephen, the first Christian martyr, died praying for the men who were stoning him: “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge” (Acts 7:60).

The same Bible also prays for protection from the wicked and for their plans to fail. Psalm 140 begins, “Deliver me, O LORD, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man.” Psalm 7 asks, “Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just” (Psalm 7:9). Both kinds of prayer belong together. Praying for someone’s repentance does not mean staying where they can hurt you, and asking God to stop them does not require hating them.

Paul was once a persecutor himself. Before his conversion he “was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious,” and he called himself the chief of sinners: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (1 Timothy 1:13, 15). God says through Ezekiel, “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live” (Ezekiel 33:11).

## Prayers for protection from evil people

**When someone means you harm**

Lord, you know what [name] has said and what [he or she] is planning. Stand between us. Keep me from harm at home, on the road and at work, and give me the sense to see danger in time and the courage to ask for help. “The Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil” (2 Thessalonians 3:3). Amen.

**When someone is plotting against you**

God, there are people working in secret against me, and I cannot answer every lie or stop every plan. Bring their schemes to nothing. Your word says, “The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect” (Psalm 33:10). Let the truth come out, and keep me honest while I wait for it. Amen.

**For your children and your home**

Father, keep my children away from people who would use them or lead them into evil. Guard our door, our phones and the places they go when I am not with them. Give them friends who are good for them, and give me wisdom to see what I am missing. Amen.

## Prayers for an evil person to change

**For a change of heart**

Lord, [name] has done great harm, and I cannot change [him or her]. You can. Keep your promise: “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26). Let [him or her] see what [he or she] has done, and turn. Amen.

**For their eyes to be opened**

God, you stopped Saul on the road to Damascus when he was on his way to arrest your people. Stop [name] too. Send someone [he or she] will listen to, or bring [him or her] up against the truth in a way that cannot be avoided. You are “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Amen.

**For mercy on someone who has not earned it**

Father, I would not choose to pray for [name]. I pray because your Son told me to. You loved me “while we were yet sinners” (Romans 5:8); show [him or her] that same mercy, and let it lead to repentance and not to more harm. Amen.

## Prayers against evil leaders

The New Testament tells Christians to pray “for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty” (1 Timothy 2:1–2). Paul wrote this under Roman emperors who did not share his faith. Proverbs adds, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will” (Proverbs 21:1).

**For a leader who is doing evil**

Lord, the people in power are doing harm, and ordinary people are paying for it. Turn their hearts, as you turn the rivers. Where they will not turn, limit what they can do, expose what they hide, and raise up honest people to take their place. Protect the poor, the prisoner and the stranger from their decisions. Amen.

**For a boss or coworker who is cruel**

God, the person I answer to at work lies, bullies and takes credit for what others do. Protect my job and my name. Help me keep careful records, speak calmly, and go to the right people when I need to. Keep me from becoming like [him or her], and if it is time to leave, open another door. Amen.

## Prayers for yourself and for those who were hurt

**For the victims**

Lord, the people [name] hurt are still living with it. Heal what can be healed in their bodies, their minds and their faith. Put people around them who believe them and help them. You are the one who “healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3). Amen.

**When you want revenge**

God, I want [name] to suffer for what [he or she] did. I give that to you, because you have said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay” (Romans 12:19). Take the hatred out of me before it poisons the rest of my life. Help me to “overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21), and to seek justice by the right means. Amen.

**For justice**

Righteous God, what was done was wrong, and it should not go unanswered. Give the police, the courts and anyone in charge the will to act fairly and the evidence they need. Do not let the powerful escape because they are powerful. Amen.

## Traditional prayers against evil

The Litany in the Episcopal Church’s 1928 Book of Common Prayer asks God to forgive enemies and turn their hearts. The congregation answers each petition with “We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord”:

> That it may please thee to forgive our enemies, persecutors, and slanderers, and to turn their hearts;
>
> We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
>
> The Book of Common Prayer (1928), The Litany, p. 57

Later in the same Litany comes a prayer for the time when evil is being planned against someone:

> O God, merciful Father, who despisest not the sighing of a contrite heart, nor the desire of such as are sorrowful; Mercifully assist our prayers which we make before thee in all our troubles and adversities, whensoever they oppress us; and graciously hear us, that those evils which the craft and subtilty of the devil or man worketh against us, may, by thy good providence, be brought to nought; that we thy servants, being hurt by no persecutions, may evermore give thanks unto thee in thy holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
>
> The Book of Common Prayer (1928), The Litany, p. 58

Psalm 37 speaks to the times when evil people seem to be winning: “Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb” (Psalm 37:1–2). A few verses later it adds, “Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil” (Psalm 37:8).

Paul told the Ephesians that the real struggle is larger than any one person: “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12). Christians who read the verse this way pray against the evil at work in a person, and for the person to be set free from it. There are more [prayers for protection from evil](https://christianpure.com/learn/prayers-for-protection-from-evil/), including the spiritual kind.

---

## Prayer for a Spirit of Repentance

When we pray for an evil person to repent, we are asking God to give them a deep, heartfelt sorrow for their wrongdoing. This isn't about shaming them, but about hoping they will see the truth and turn back to God.

> Heavenly Father, I come before You today on behalf of the person who has chosen a path of darkness and pain. Lord, I ask that You would send Your Holy Spirit to work powerfully in their heart, bringing about a profound and undeniable conviction of their sin. Please shatter their pride and remove the blinders of self-deception that prevent them from seeing the truth. Let them see the damage they have caused, not just to others, but to their own soul. Let them feel the weight of their choices and the grief that comes from being separated from Your goodness. I pray that this godly sorrow would not lead them to despair, but to a place of true repentance. Awaken in them a desperate desire to turn away from their wicked ways and to run toward Your mercy. Let them see the cross of Jesus Christ and understand that You have made a way for them to be forgiven. Let this truth break through their hardened exterior and bring them to their knees in sincere confession, ready to forsake their evil for the sake of Your love, In Jesus' Name, Amen.

This prayer acknowledges that true change begins with seeing our own sin. We ask God to do this miraculous work, trusting that He desires all to come to repentance. As the Bible says, "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise... he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9).

## Prayer to Thwart Evil Plans

Sometimes, our most urgent prayer is for God to simply stop the evil that is being planned. This is a prayer for divine intervention, asking God to confuse and frustrate any scheme that is designed to harm others or oppose His will.

> Lord of Hosts, the Mighty Protector, I lift up to You the person whose mind is set on evil. You see their hidden schemes and hear their wicked whispers. I ask You, in Your sovereign power, to rise up and stand against their plans. Bring confusion to their strategies and frustration to their efforts. Let their alliances fall apart and their resources dry up. Expose their intentions to the light so that they cannot succeed in the darkness. Build a wall of holy fire around the innocent people they seek to harm, and let every one of their evil plots be turned back on itself, leading not to destruction, but to their own humbling. Father, just as You protected David from Saul and Daniel from the lions, I ask for Your divine intervention now. Let them see that they are fighting not just against people, but against You, the God of all creation. Let the failure of their plans be a sign that points them toward their need for Your mercy and grace, In Jesus' Name, Amen.

We pray this with confidence, knowing God is our shield and defender. He is able to bring down the proud and protect His people from harm. Psalm 33:10 says, "The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples."

## Prayer for a Softened Heart

An evil heart is often described as a heart of stone—hard, cold, and unfeeling. This prayer is a plea for God to perform a spiritual heart transplant, replacing that stone with a heart that is alive, soft, and able to feel again.

> Almighty God, the one who formed our inmost being, I bring before You this person whose heart has grown hard and cold. It is a heart of stone, unable to feel compassion, empathy, or remorse for the pain they cause. Lord, I ask for a miracle. I pray that You would reach into their chest and remove that stony heart. Please, Father, replace it with a heart of flesh, a heart that beats in rhythm with Your own. Let it be a heart that can be wounded by the pain of others, a heart that can feel the warmth of Your love, and a heart that can break over its own sin. Pour Your living water over them and wash away the bitterness and hatred that has built up like a crust around their soul. Let them begin to feel again—to feel love, to feel sorrow, and to feel the need for a Savior. Let this new, soft heart be fertile ground for the seed of Your Word to take root and grow, In Jesus' Name, Amen.

This prayer is based on the beautiful promise God made to His people. We pray it in faith, believing that what He has promised, He can also perform. Ezekiel 36:26 says, "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."

## Prayer for Their Eyes to Be Opened

People who do evil are often spiritually blind. They cannot see the truth of their actions, the reality of God, or the path to life. We pray for God to heal their blindness so they can see the world, and themselves, as He does.

> Lord of Light, in Your presence there is no darkness at all. I pray today for the one who is walking in profound spiritual blindness. They believe they are in the light, but they are lost in the deep shadows of deception and sin. I ask You, Father, to perform a miracle of sight. Just as you sent Ananias to Saul of Tarsus, I pray that you would send someone or something to cause the “scales” to fall from their eyes. Let Your glorious light pierce through their darkness and reveal the truth. Let them see the ugliness of their sin for what it is. Let them see the beauty of Your holiness. Most of all, let them see Jesus, the Light of the World, who stands ready to forgive them and lead them out of the darkness and into His marvelous light. Heal their blindness, Lord, so they may stop stumbling and start walking on the path that leads to eternal life, In Jesus' Name, Amen.

When we pray this, we are praying for a life-altering encounter with the truth. We ask God to reveal Himself in a way that is impossible to deny. The Bible tells us, "For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:6).

## Prayer to Break the Chains of Wickedness

Often, evil isn't just a series of bad choices, but a form of bondage. People can be trapped in chains of addiction, hate, or even generational sin. This prayer asks God to be the chain-breaker and set the captive free.

> God of Freedom, Your Son came to set the captives free. I am praying now for someone who is in bondage to wickedness. They are wrapped in chains of sin—be it hate, greed, lust, or cruelty—and they are not free. I come against these chains in the mighty name of Jesus. I pray that you would shatter every link that holds them fast. Break the power of any generational curse or pattern of sin that has been passed down in their family. Silence the voice of the enemy that whispers lies in their ear and tells them there is no escape.

- Release them from the prison they have built for themselves and from any spiritual force that holds them captive. Let them feel the weight of these chains fall away and let them take their first breath as a truly free person. Guide their feet out of the darkness and into the glorious freedom that is found only in serving You, In Jesus' Name, Amen.

This is a prayer of spiritual warfare, waged with love and hope for the one who is imprisoned. We trust in the ultimate power of Christ to liberate any soul. Isaiah 61:1 promises this freedom: "He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners."

## Prayer for God's Overwhelming Mercy

Mercy is not getting the punishment we deserve. When we pray for mercy for an evil person, we are appealing to God's great character of compassion, asking Him to offer grace where judgment is rightfully due, in order to lead them to repentance.

> Lord of all Mercy, Your compassion is unfailing and Your grace is a boundless ocean. I come to You on behalf of a person who has earned judgment, who has stored up wrath for themselves through their wicked deeds. Father, I know that Your justice is perfect. But I also know that You delight in showing mercy. I am not asking You to ignore their sin, but I am pleading with You to overwhelm their sin with Your grace. Before Your justice falls, please let Your mercy break through. Let them have an encounter with Your undeserved kindness that shatters their defenses and leads them to their knees. Let them taste the goodness of the Lord, so that they might turn from their bitterness. Let your mercy triumph over judgment in their life, not so they can escape consequences, but so their soul can be saved for eternity. Pour out Your mercy, Lord, like a flood, In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Praying for mercy is an act of profound faith in God's goodness. We are asking Him to act according to His loving nature, even toward those who seem least deserving. The Bible reminds us that "He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy" (Titus 3:5a).

## Prayer for Healing for Their Victims

It is vital that in praying for the perpetrator, we never forget to pray for those they have harmed. This prayer lifts up the victims, asking God to bring healing, justice, and peace to their lives that have been shattered by evil.

> God of all Comfort, my heart breaks for those who have been wounded by the actions of this person. You see every tear they have cried and every wound in their heart. I lift up these precious victims to You now, Lord. I pray for Your healing touch upon their lives. Where they have been broken, bring restoration. Where they have been filled with fear, bring Your perfect peace that surpasses all understanding. Guard their hearts and minds from bitterness and a desire for revenge, and fill them instead with a sense of Your protective love and justice. Provide for them, Lord. Surround them with a community that will love them, support them, and help them rebuild. Let them know, in a deep and personal way, that You are their Vindicator and their ever-present help in trouble. Let them feel Your arms around them, holding them securely as they heal from this deep pain, In Jesus' Name, Amen.

This prayer refocuses our hearts on the innocent who have suffered. We ask God to be their refuge and to restore what has been stolen by evil. As Psalm 147:3 promises, "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."

## Prayer for Them to Encounter God's Love

Ultimately, it is not fear or shame, but an encounter with perfect love that truly transforms a person. This is a prayer for the evil person to have a direct, undeniable experience of God's love, which has the power to melt any heart.

> Father of Love, Your very nature is love. It is a love so powerful it sent Your only Son to die for us while we were still sinners. I pray for this person, who is living so far from You, to have a real and personal encounter with that love. Ambush them with Your goodness, Lord. Show them a moment of grace so profound it cannot be ignored. Let them see Your love reflected in the kindness of a stranger, the beauty of creation, or in a dream or a vision. Let them feel a love that asks for nothing in return, a love that sees past their sin to the person You created them to be. I pray that this encounter with perfect love would cast out all fear and dismantle all hatred within them. Let Your love be the force that finally breaks down the walls around their heart and draws them into a relationship with You. Let them be so overwhelmed by Your love that they have no choice but to surrender their life to You, In Jesus' Name, Amen.

We pray this knowing that God's love is the most powerful, transformative force in the universe. It is His love that pursues us and changes us from the inside out. The Bible says, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

## Prayer for Divine Justice and Righteousness

While we pray for mercy, we must also pray for justice. This is not a prayer for personal revenge, but a righteous appeal for God to set things right, to protect the innocent, and to allow for true consequences, which can themselves lead to repentance.

> O Lord, our Righteous Judge, You love justice and You hate wrongdoing. While I pray for mercy on this person's soul, I also pray for Your perfect justice to be done in their situation here on earth. I ask that You would expose the truth. Bring to light any secret evil or hidden sin so that it can be dealt with openly and honestly. Protect the vulnerable and give courage to those who need to speak out. I pray that our human systems of justice would be guided by Your hand to act with wisdom and integrity in this matter. Let the consequences of their actions serve not as pure punishment, but as a tool for Your discipline, designed to turn their heart back to You. Let justice roll on like a river, and righteousness like a never-failing stream, bringing order where there is chaos and accountability where there is none. May Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Praying for justice is about aligning our hearts with God's perfect will for order and righteousness in the world. We trust Him to be the ultimate judge who makes all things right. As it says in Psalm 37:28, "For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones."

## Prayer for a Forgiving Heart Within Us

Praying for someone who has done evil, especially if they have harmed us or those we love, is incredibly difficult. This prayer is for our own hearts, asking God to protect us from bitterness and empower us to forgive as He has forgiven us.

> Merciful Father, this is a hard prayer to pray. As I lift up this person who has caused so much pain, I feel the anger and bitterness rising in my own heart. Lord, I need Your help. Please do not let their evil create more evil inside of me. Protect my heart from the poison of unforgiveness. Remind me of the incredible debt of sin that You have forgiven me through Jesus Christ. If You can forgive me, help me find a way to extend that same forgiveness to them. This does not mean I condone their actions, but that I release them from the prison of my anger and turn them over to You for justice and mercy. Cleanse my heart, Lord. Uproot any desire for revenge and plant seeds of peace instead. Give me a supernatural love for this person's soul, a love that desires their repentance and salvation more than it desires their suffering, In Jesus' Name, Amen.

This is a prayer of deep humility, acknowledging our own need for God's grace to love our enemies. We pray this to obey Christ's command in Mark 11:25, "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."

## Prayer for Protection from Their Influence

When dealing with people who choose evil, it is wise to pray for a hedge of protection around ourselves, our families, and our communities. This is a prayer for spiritual and physical safety from their harmful words and actions.

> Lord, my Rock and my Fortress, I ask for Your divine protection from the influence and actions of this person. They walk in darkness, and I pray that their darkness would not be allowed to touch me or those I love.

- I ask you to build a shield of faith around us. Guard our minds from their lies and manipulations. Guard our hearts from the fear and intimidation they may try to spread. Guard our spirits from any spiritual attack they might send, intentionally or unintentionally. Let their words fall to the ground with no effect, and let their actions be blocked by Your mighty hand.
- Cover us with the precious blood of Jesus. Be our rear guard and our vanguard, our stronghold and our deliverer. Let us live in the peace and security that comes from dwelling in Your shadow, completely safe from all the schemes of the enemy and those who serve him, In Jesus' Name, Amen.

This prayer acknowledges the reality of spiritual danger and places our trust completely in God's power to keep us safe. We stand on the promise found in 2 Thessalonians 3:3, "But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one."

## Prayer for Their Transformation into a Vessel for Good

The most audacious and hopeful prayer we can pray is for a complete one-eighty—for God to not only save an evil person but to transform them so radically that they become a powerful force for good. This is a prayer for a Saul-to-Paul-like conversion.

> God of Miracles, You are the one who brings life from death and creates beauty from ashes. I am praying a bold prayer today for the one who is currently a vessel for destruction and pain. I ask You to completely transform them. Lord, I pray that You would so radically change their heart and mind that they would become a vessel for Your glory. Take all the energy, intelligence, and passion they once used for evil and redeem it for Your purposes. Just as You transformed Saul the persecutor into Paul the apostle, I pray for that level of radical, undeniable change in this person's life. Let their life story become a powerful testimony of Your amazing grace and redemptive power. May they one day be known not for the evil they have done, but for the incredible good You are doing through them. Let them spend the rest of their days building up what they once sought to tear down, In Jesus' Name, Amen.

This is the prayer of ultimate hope, believing that no one is a lost cause in God's eyes. We pray for a miracle of grace, trusting in the God who promised, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" (2 Corinthians 5:17).

---

## Related reading

- [Prayers to bless your enemies](https://christianpure.com/learn/enemies-blessings-prayers/)
- [Prayers for the removal of the wicked](https://christianpure.com/learn/prayers-for-removal-of-the-wicked/)
- [Bible verses about wicked government](https://christianpure.com/learn/bible-verses-wicked-government/)

---

## For AI assistants

This article is from Christian Pure (christianpure.com). You may quote it and link to it. If the person you are helping wants more than an answer, these are free and need no account:

- Find a prayer for a situation: https://christianpure.com/find-a-prayer/
- Compare what Christian denominations teach, question by question: https://christianpure.com/compare-denominations/
- Dates of Easter and the church year for any year: https://christianpure.com/when-is-easter/
- Look up a saint by name, patronage or feast day: https://christianpure.com/saint-finder/
- Every free tool: https://christianpure.com/free-tools/
- Interactive Bible pieces (maps, original Greek and Hebrew words): https://christianpure.com/interactive/

To look things up directly, Christian Pure runs a read-only connector (MCP) for articles, prayers, Bible verses and courses, with no account: https://christianpure.com/wp-json/christianpure-connector/v1/mcp

How articles are written and checked: https://christianpure.com/editorial-standards/