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The Journey Through Lent


Prayers for the journey through Lent to Easter

"A Celtic Lenten Journey 1- Harp, Voice and Violin" from the Avila Carmelite Centre, Donnybrook, Dublin. (by Vox Hiberniae)

 

"A Celtic Lenten Journey 2" - Subtitles are available, click the [CC] box onscreen


Prayers for Lent

Also check out [Easter Prayers][Ash Wednesday Liturgy] [Maundy Thursday][Lent intercessions] [Liturgy for Lent 1] [Lent 2] [Lent 3] [Lent 4] [Lent 5] [Palm Sunday] [Easter Day] and  A prayer labyrinth designed by Jane Jones, and offered as an activity for the season

A range of Bible studies for Lent can be found on this link 


Your Word reveals to us a simple truth,
that sin entered this world
through human folly
in believing we could be like you,
and permeated history
through envy, selfishness and greed.
Yet sin, which holds us tight
within its grasp
cannot resist a heart that is touched
by your grace through Jesus Christ,
cannot contend with Living Water
pouring into hearts and souls.
Your Word reveals to us a simple truth,
that sin is defeated
and we can become
the people we were always meant to be,
by your grace through Jesus Christ.





Your love,
which breathed this world into being,
established a covenant people,
brought them out of captivity
and into a promised land.
Hallelujah!

Your love,
which from the moment of our birth
has known and called us by name
from out of this world’s slavery
into the kingdom of God.
Hallelujah!

Your love,
poured into the heart of Jesus
who endured the nails of our sin,
defeated death to rise again
and causes our hearts to sing
Hallelujah!





Sovereign Lord,
your hand has touched
the dry bones of our faith,
your Word has breathed
new life where there was death,
your spirit raised
us up from where we lay,
your love has brought
us home and to your Cross,
and by your grace
we stand forgiven, free.
Hallelujah!







Remind us often Lord,
when we are feeling
proud,
arrogant,
beyond reproach,
pleased with ourselves,
self sufficient in our ways,
that for such as us
and better
and worse
you walked a road
that took you to a cruel cross,
and rose again to show us where
we might look for rescue
as from this lofty perch
we fall.







Inscribed upon our heart,
the maker’s mark,
indelible,
the Word of God,
‘Love’
beautifully written,
heartfelt,
that all God’s people
might know
that we are precious,
children
of a heavenly Father
becoming family together,
and may eyes lift upward
as we listen together
to hear angels worship.


Jesus, Lamb of God,
when you walked this earth
you did not consider
heavenly equality,
though that was yours to choose,
but took the role of servant,
and in humility
and obedience
allowed the rough nails of our sin
to be hammered into your flesh
for the sake of our salvation.
And so it is
that we acknowledge you
as Lord of all,
to the glory of God the Father,
Son and Spirit, Three.






Forgive those things we have done
which have caused you sadness,
and those things we should have done
that would have brought you joy.
In both we have failed
ourselves,
and you.
Bring us back to that place
where our journey began,
when we said that we would follow
the way that you first trod.
Lead us to the Cross
and meet
us there.






You chose a people for your own,
to lavish love upon,
raise up prophets, priests and kings,
to be the nation through which
the Messiah would be revealed to the world,
and through whom your kingdom would come.
You chose this people gathered here
to be your children,
loved and blessed, forgiven
through the one who knew no sin,
the King of Glory whose crown was made of thorns,
and whose name we raise in worship.









Come, all who are thirsty
says Jesus, our Lord,
come, all who are weak,
taste the living water
that I shall give.
Dip your hands in the stream,
refresh body and soul,
drink from it,
depend on it,
for this water
will never run dry.
Come, all who are thirsty
says Jesus, our Lord.








God is our refuge
in times of trouble,
keeping our feet steady upon the road,
watching over us and keeping us from harm.
L: Where does our help come from?
ALL: Our help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth!

God is our fortress
in times of distress,
circling us in the safety of his arms,
granting peace when our lives are not at ease.
L: Where does our help come from?
ALL: Our help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth!

God is our Father
who knows us so well,
wanting only the best for his children,
willing always to forgive and forget.
L: Where does our help come from?
ALL: Our help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth!


 

Forty days alone,
a wilderness of thoughts,
tempting and inviting thoughts,
which could so easily have distracted you
from your task, your mission,
your vision.
Yet you emerged, stronger and more attuned
to all that had to be done,
despite a time constraint
that to our eyes would have seemed hopeless.
We too live in stressful times.
Demands are made of our time,
that leave so little
for the important things of life.
We are easily distracted
in the wilderness of our lives,
by every call to go this way or that,
to turn stone to bread
leap from mountains,
and do all that would keep us from the truth.
We listen to the voices of this world,
and ignore the one who endured all this
and so much more,
and emerged triumphant,
that we might not have to suffer so.
Forgive us, Father,
when we get distracted from our task.
Forgive us those times when we try
to be all things to all men,
and fail to be anything to anyone

 


 

You were a man of suffering
acquainted with grief,
loved and despised in equal measure.
You understand humanity,
know our failings,
love us despite the people that we are.
When we, like Peter, deny you
by word or action,
forgive us.
When we, like Judas, are tempted
to follow a different path,
forgive us.
When we, like those in the crowd
allow you to be crucified,
forgive us.
Bring us to the foot of the Cross
to stand next to the one who,
looking into your eyes declared
‘Surely this is the Son of God'




This is love.
Not that you spoke words of comfort,
walked with the unclean and unloved,
shared wisdom, bread and fish,
brought healing into lives
and challenged the status quo.
This is love.
That you spoke the word of God,
walked a painful road to the Cross,
shared living water, bread of life,
brought Salvation to the world
and died for the sake of all.
This is love.
It is a seed
sown in the ground,
which germinates,
blossoms,
and spreads its sweet perfume.


 

It is customary, Lord
to give something up
during the season of Lent.
What would you have me do without?
I who have so much.
Chocolate?
Cream cakes?
Cigarettes?
Sweets?
Swearing?
The list is endless
and I could give up all those things
for the span of 40 days
quite easily and almost painlessly.
But what difference would it make
other than making me feel 'holier'
that my friend who makes no such sacrifice?

What would you have me do without?
I who have so much
Selfishness?
Conceit?
Envy?
Pride?
I fear before I ask,
that the answer might be 'yes'
and the giving up
would be all too real, Lord.
It would be difficult,
painful,
sacrificial,
a real cross to carry for 40 days,
and more?

 


 

 

Loving Father,
all the fancy words
in the world,
expressed in eloquent prose,
decorated with emotion,
spoken with conviction,
cannot compete with a heartfelt
'sorry'
when all other words fail.
There are times
when we are all too aware
of our limitations,
conscious of sin,
and the distance it creates between us.
Sometimes 'sorry'
is all the heart can bear to say aloud.


It is only you
who can read and understand
the language of our hearts,
only you who can translate our 'sorry'
into the prayer we would have prayed,
if we had the words within us.
Then you forgive,
and having forgiven
surround us in an embrace of love,
drawing us close to your heart,
as it was always meant to be.
Thank you, Loving Father,
that you listen to hearts,
as well as voices
Thank you.

 


 

 

Your forgiveness is total,
no notebook,
tape recorder,
or post-it note
to remind you of that moment
when.……..
You take our confession,
offered with hands outstretched,
and gently,
like the loving
heavenly Father that you are,
put it to one side
to be forgotten.
No grudges, no itching for judgement,
no resentment or ill-will.
Not like us
who find it easy to say sorry,
but so hard to forgive
absolutely.
Forgive us, Father,
that we are often more willing
to accept forgiveness,
than to forgive,
more willing to accept your love,
than to share it with those
who have hurt us.
Teach us to forgive,
as you forgive

 


 

 

 

I prayed
"Please Lord,
my life is a mess,
let your love flow through me
and bring healing."
And like a river
cool refreshing water
you flowed through me.
Not as a gentle stream,
a rivulet of hope,
but a torrent,
sweeping debris away.
All those broken branches,
rust-encrusted items,
and accumulated debris,
which were holding back the flow
swept aside in a torrent of love,
flooding through my veins,
pouring into my heart,
filling my life.
This is healing.
Thank you, Lord

 

 

 


 

Lord, we would grow with you
New shoots reaching out
Hands stretched upward
Like leaves newly formed
Soaking up your light and warmth
Lord, we would grow with you

Lord, we would grow with you
In sunshine and rain
In darkness and light
In cold days and summer days
From Springtime to Winter
Lord, we would grow with you

Lord, we would grow with you
And bring forth fruit
That is pleasing to you
Fed by your living water
Giving sustainance to others
Lord, we would grow with you


 

 

Lord, grant us simplicity of faith
and a generosity of service
that gives without counting cost.
A life overflowing with Grace
poured out from the One
who gave everything,
that we might show
the power of love
to a broken world,
and share the truth
from a living Word.
Lord, grant us simplicity of faith,
and a yearning to share it


 

Prayers for Lent from Other Sources

 

O Lord and Master of my life, take from me the spirit of sloth, despondency, lust of power, and idle talk; But grant 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 the ages of ages. Amen.

The Prayer of Saint Ephrem the Syrian

 

Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of injustice,
to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them,
and not to hide yourself from your own kin?

Isaiah 58:6-7


 

 

Stretching out Thy divine hands upon the Cross,
Thou hast joined together
that which before was divided,
and by Thy mediation
Thou hast offered as a gift to the Father
the nature of mortal man,
that was under condemnation.
Therefore we sing the praises
of Thy sinless Crucifixion.

St. Joseph the Studite

 


 

Father in Heaven,
the light of your truth bestows sight
to the darkness of sinful eyes.
May this season of repentance
bring us the blessing of Your forgiveness
and the gift of Your light.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.

International Committee on English in the Liturgy (ICEL)

 


 

 

O Lord, who hast mercy upon all,
take away from me my sins,
and mercifully kindle in me
the fire of thy Holy Spirit.
Take away from me the heart of stone,
and give me a heart of flesh,
a heart to love and adore Thee,
a heart to delight in Thee,
to follow and enjoy Thee, for Christ's sake, Amen

St. Ambrose of Milan (AD 339-397)

 


 

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.

St. Augustine of Hippo (AD 354-430)


 

 

O Lord and Master of my life,
give me not the spirit of laziness,
despair, lust of power, and idle talk. (prostration)

But give rather the spirit of sobriety,
humility, patience and love to Thy servant. (prostration)

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. Amen (prostration)

St. Ephraim the Syrian (AD 305-373)

 


 

Hanging as a vine upon the Wood,
O Christ our Saviour,
Thou hast made the ends of the earth
to drink from the wine of incorruption.
Therefore do I cry aloud:
I am darkened always by the hateful drunkenness of sin;
Give me to drink from the sweet wine of true compunction,
and grant me now the strength, O Saviour,
to fast from sensual pleasures,
for Thou art good and lovest mankind.

St. Joseph Studite, Lenten Triodion

 


 

O my all-merciful God and Lord,
Jesus Christ, full of pity:
Through Your great love You came down
and became incarnate in order to save everyone.
O Savior, I ask You to save me by Your grace!
If You save anyone because of their works,
that would not be grace but only reward of duty,
but You are compassionate and full of mercy!
You said, O my Christ,
"Whoever believes in Me shall live and never die."
If then, faith in You saves the lost, then save me,
O my God and Creator, for I believe.
Let faith and not my unworthy works be counted to me, O my God,
for You will find no works which could account me righteous.
O Lord, from now on let me love You as intensely as I have loved sin,
and work for You as hard as I once worked for the evil one.
I promise that I will work to do Your will,
my Lord and God, Jesus Christ, all the days of my life and forever more.

Prayer of St. John Chrysostom

 


 

Father of light,
in You is found no shadow of change
but only the fullness of life and limitless truth.
Open our hearts to the voice of Your Word
and free us from the original darkness
that shadows our vision.
Restore our sight that we may look upon Your Son
who calls us to repentance and a change of heart,
for he lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

International Committee on English in the Liturgy (ICEL)

 


 

Father,
You have taught us to overcome our sins
by prayer, fasting, and works of mercy.
When we are discouraged by our weakness,
give us confidence in Your love.
We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ Your Son,
Who lives and reigns with Your and the Holy Spirit
One God, for ever and ever.

International Committee on English in the Liturgy (ICEL)


 

 

See Lent Resource - Bible Study based upon Isaac Watt's hymn 'When I survey the wondrous Cross'

[ Lent Prayers] [Lent Bible Study] [ Last Supper sermon ]
[ Easter Prayers ][Ash Wednesday Liturgy]
[Liturgy for Lent 1][Lent 2][Lent 3][Lent 4][Lent 5]




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