Befriend These Seven Lenten Prayers
seven prayers to guide you as we move through the rest of lent
We’re heading into the third week of Lent, and I’ve been sitting on this little post for a minute. Written prayers — particularly the prayers of the church — have been a lifeline to me the last few years. This is the beauty of the daily office.
Don’t know what to pray? Too sapped of vigor to vocalize what’s in your heart? All good. These prayers can guide and prime us by the Spirit’s help. As you continue in Lent, journeying with Jesus toward the victory of the cross and empty tomb, find in these prayers grace and comfort for the journey into the fullness of his hope.
Lenten prayer of St. Ephrem
O Lord and Master of my life, take from me the spirit of sloth, despair, lust of power, and idle talk. But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience, and love to Thy servant. Yea, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own transgressions, and not to judge my brother, for blessed art Thou, unto ages of ages.
General confession from Anglican Church in Kenya
Almighty God, creator of all, you marvelously made us in your image; but we have corrupted ourselves and damaged your likeness by rejecting your love and hurting our neighbors. We have done wrong and neglected to do right. We are sincerely sorry and heartily repent of our sins. Cleanse us and forgive us by the sacrifice of your Son; remake us and lead us by your Spirit, the Comforter. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Lenten prayers from the Book of Common Prayer (2019)
Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities that may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts that may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Heavenly Father, you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you: Look with compassion upon the heartfelt desires of your servants, and purify our disordered affections, that we may behold your eternal glory in the face of Christ Jesus; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
A contemporary lenten prayer form priest W. David O. Taylor
O Lord, you who bear in your body the wounds of the cross in perpetuity, we pray today for those who are deprived of bodily health, damaged by bodily abuse, worn down by bodily labors, ashamed of their bodily shape, assaulted because of the color of their body and discouraged by the deterioration of their body, that you would administer to them the healing powers of your own body and assure them by your Spirit of the dignity of their bodies. In the name of the One whose body redeems and reconciles all human bodies. Amen.
A collect prayer for endurance from BCP 2019
Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the Cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.