Prayer for the Fourth Sunday of Lent 2013

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A lenten Prayer for the Day by John Birch.

Today’s prayer was written by John Birch at Faith and Worship.  I find it both challenging and compelling

A Prayer for the Third Sunday of Lent

I posted this prayer on the Light for the Journey Facebook page earlier in the week and it was so popular that I thought I would share it here too. The beginning of next week we will be about half way through the journey of Lent and I think that many of us begin to feel a little weary at this point.

A Prayer for the Second Sunday of Lent – 2013

I wrote this prayer a couple of years ago but have added the photo this year to provide a focus for reflection during this season.

A Prayer for the First Sunday of Lent

The prayer I posted on Facebook this morning has been so popular that I thought I would adapt it for the first Sunday of Lent.

The Lord’s Prayer – An Adaptation

Christ on the Cross

This beautiful and compelling rendition of the Lord’s prayer was posted by the Society of the Sacred Heart . I thought that it made a great addition to our Lenten collection of prayers.

Our God who is in heaven,
And all of us here on earth;
The hungry, the oppressed, the excluded.
Holy is your name.

May your reign come.

May your reign come and your will be done:

In our choice to struggle with the complexities of this world,
And to confront greed and the desire for power in our selves,
In our nation and in the global community.

May your reign come.

Give us this day our daily bread;

Bread that we are called to share,
Bread that you have given us abundantly
And that we must distribute fairly, ensuring security for all.

May your reign come.

Forgive us our trespasses;

Times we have turned away from the struggles
Of other people and countries,
Times when we have thought only of our own security.

May your reign come.

Lead us not into temptation;

The temptation to close our minds, ears, and eyes
To the unfair global systems that create
Larger and larger gaps between the rich and the poor;
The temptation to think it is too difficult
To bring about more just alternatives.

May your reign come.

Deliver us from evil;

The evil of a world where violence happens in your name,
Where wealth for a few us more important
Than economic rights for all,
Where gates and barriers between people
Are so hard to bring down

May your reign come.

May your reign come, for yours is the kingdom,
the power and the glory forever and ever. AMEN!

I Cannot Do This Alone – A Prayer by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

I posted this prayer last year, but it is such a compelling Lenten prayer that I decided to post it again. This prayer by Dietrich Bonhoeffer was used as one of the Lenten meditations in The Mosaic Bible

O God, early in the morning I cry to you.

Help me to pray

And to concentrate my thoughts on you;

I cannot do this alone.

In me there is darkness,

But in you there is light;

I am lonely, but you do not leave me;

I am feeble in heart, but with you there is peace.

I am restless, but with you there is peace.

In me there is bitterness, but with you there is patience;

I do not understand your ways,

But you know the way for me…

Restore me to liberty,

And enable me to live now

That I may answer before you and before men.

Lord, whatever this day may bring,

Your name be praised.

Amen.

Lenten Prayers: St Augustine of Hippo

St Augustine by Philille de Champaigne via Wikipedia

I have come across two prayers this last week that are Lenten prayers written by St. Augustine of Hippo (AD 354-430) which I wanted to share this afternoon.

Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy.
Act in me, O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy.
Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, that I may love only what is holy.
Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, that I may defend all that is holy.
Guard me, O Holy Spirit, that I myself may always be holy.

— Augustine of Hippo (from Huffington Post )

The following confessional prayer of St. Augustine, is also very much in the spirit of Lent.

O Lord,
the house of my soul is narrow;
enlarge it that you may enter in.
It is ruinous, O repair it!
It displeases your sight.
I confess it, I know.
But who shall cleanse it,
to whom shall I cry but to you?
Cleanse me from my secret faults, O Lord,
and spare your servant from strange sins.

You may also like to read this sermon on Lent that Augustine wrote.

A Prayer for the Second Sunday of Lent 2012

A Prayer for the Second Sunday of Lent

I am posting this early because Tom & I are heading out of town tomorrow. The readings for Sunday are: Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16; Psalm 22:23-31; Romans 4:13-25; Mark 8: 31-38 or Mark 9:2-9

Righteous God, compassionate and generous one,

Who forgives our sins and always has mercy.

Shine your light on our faces,

Fill our hidden darkness with your healing light,

Breathe on us afresh and grant us life.

God you are always ready to forgive,

Bend down and hear our prayers.

Respond to our repentant cries,

Purify our hearts and cleanse our souls, 

That we may honour and serve you in all our ways.

God you are a covenant making God,

Who gives assurance of salvation and faithfulness.

May we see your signs in the wilderness,

Believe your promises in the midst of temptation,

And willingly follow your call into the kingdom.

Lord of life, touch and transfigure us,

Let your love grow strong and deep within us.

May your compassion bloom in us,

Your righteousness bear fruit,

Your generosity encourage us to share.

Amen

A Prayer for The First Sunday of Lent

Jesus may we follow you on the pilgrim way of Lent,

May we journey with you into the wilderness,

Willing to move beyond the ordinary,

So that we can discover your unexpected sacred places. 

Jesus may we wash our hands and purify our hearts,

Learning to thirst after righteousness and hunger after justice,

May we humble ourselves before you,

Expecting to see you revealed in a new light.

Jesus may we walk with you no matter how challenging the path, 

Learning to be patient with darkness and growth,

Willing to live with not knowing, 

Until your mustard seeds take root and sprout into life.