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Lenten Devotional and Prayer

Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ. It is a time of self-examination and reflection. During Lent, Christians focus on restoring their relationship with God, often choosing to give up something or draw closer to God in other ways. The Lenten season lasts for forty days, not counting Sundays; it begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday. The forty days represent the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin his ministry.

 

Lenten Prayer

Holy God, we come today confessing that we have sinned against you and against our neighbors in thought, word, and deed. We have sinned by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with all our heart, mind and strength.  We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We have not forgiven others as we have been forgiven. We come acknowledging that you created us from dust, and to dust we shall return. Have mercy on us.

 

Give us strength to struggle against everything that leads us away from the love of God and neighbor. Forgive us for turning a blind eye to human suffering  and injustice. Pardon us for our pollution of your creation and for our waste of its resources.

 

Accept our repentance as we draw closer to God through our acts of fasting, prayer, and devotion. Give us strength to persevere in our Lenten journey to the Cross.

 

In your Holy Name we pray. Amen.

Holy God, we thank you for all the ways you continue to bless us. We have so much to be thankful for this week and every day. Thank you for protecting us from dangers seen and unseen. Thank you for keeping us safe beneath the shadow of your wings. Thank you for wrapping us up in your loving arms and reassuring us in times of trouble. Thank you for giving us your peace. We pray that you will be with those in need this week. In all things we give you the praise. Amen.

Loving God, thank you for this day of new mercies and new possibilities. Thank you for keeping us safe from dangers seen and unseen. We acknowledge that you are great and greatly to be praised. We lift your name on high.

We come confessing our sins and asking for your forgiveness in all the ways we have fallen short. We thank you for your faithfulness even when we have been unfaithful.

Merciful God, you already know our wants and needs even before we ask. So, we pray that you will meet us in our needful places. We pray that you will move in our lives and in our circumstances with your powerful presence.

We love you, Lord. We worship and adore you. We give you thanks today. And in all things we give you the glory.  Amen.

Scripture for Reflection:

Psalm 103:17 (CEB) But the Lord’s faithful love is from forever ago to forever from now for those who honor him. And God’s righteousness reaches to the grandchildren.