READ MORE: A Devotion for Holy Week

How to Pray During Holy Week

For followers of Jesus, Lent offers opportunities to pause and pray, as we approach the yearly remembrance of our Lord’s Passion—His suffering, death, burial, and Resurrection.

But even during this season of reflection and gratitude, it’s so easy to rush through days filled with work, errands, grocery shopping, school events, and more. We’d like to be more mindful and present as we approach Holy Week, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday, but how?

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could somehow “pray our way to Calvary” in the final weeks before the most momentous days in our Christian calendar? We can. In fact, our Bibles already have a built-in tool that can help. It’s called “the Psalms of Ascent,” or “Pilgrim Songs.”

You may have noticed in some Bibles that Psalms 120-134 each bears a heading identifying it as “A Psalm of Ascent.” Those 15 psalms are a sort of “hymnal” within a hymnal. Jewish pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem for one of the annual festivals sang these songs, in order, on their uphill journey, as they ascended. They may also have been sung by priests and worshipers ascending the steps to the Temple.

So, one way to make this year’s “journey to Calvary” more meaningful is to start the third Friday before Easter by praying (or, if you prefer, singing or chanting) Psalm 120—a prayer for God’s presence during a time of distress—at some point during the day. Then, simply pray or sing the next psalm each day, culminating in Psalm 134 on Maundy Thursday. It’s a short psalm of praise to God in His sanctuary on the day that marks the Last Supper before the betrayal, arrest, and trial of Jesus.

By following the ancient songbook, you can pray your way to Holy Week. You will arrive at Good Friday having prayed your way—day by day, step by step, psalm by psalm—to the cross of Jesus, where His loving sacrifice made forgiveness and redemption possible for all who look to Him in sincere faith.

21 Holy Week Prayers

However else you might observe Holy Week, prayers are always a good idea for such momentous moments. In many churches, there will be liturgical drama from the washing of feet to the stripping of an altar. How to pray during a week of both triumph and betrayal? Here are 21 suggested prayers for Holy Week to take you from Holy Monday to Resurrection Sunday and beyond.

Holy Week Prayers for Palm Sunday (Day 1)

1. Let me sing “Hosannas” with the crowd and wave my palms high, as I remember, Lord, just what kind of kingdom Your Son has promised to reign over. Amen. —Rick Hamlin

2. Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9) Heavenly Father, today on Palm Sunday, as Holy Week begins, please guide me on my faith journey to deeply reflect on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. My heart is open, and I am ready to share His message of love, mercy and forgiveness with anyone in need and offer them hope and comfort. —Sabra Ciancanelli

READ MORE: Palm Sunday in the Bible: 15 Palm Sunday Scriptures

Holy Week Prayers for Holy Monday (Day 2)

3. Dear Lord, on this Holy Monday, I am thankful for the gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who came into the world to save us from our sins. As we begin Holy Week, I ask for Your guidance and strength to walk with Jesus. Help me to learn from His example of selflessness and love. Please comfort all who are suffering today. May they feel Your presence and experience Your healing. May they find hope in Your love. —Sabra Ciancanelli

4. Where am I going, Lord? Where am I headed? I have seen the Lord curse a fig tree and watch it wither and die. Let not my Spirit wilt in the same way. Amen. —Rick Hamlin

5. Lord Jesus, You entered the Jerusalem Temple to cleanse it of corruption and abuse. As this Holy Week commences, search and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me and lead me in the way of everlasting life. Amen. —Bob Hostetler (based on Psalm 139:23-24 WEB)

READ MORE: A Devotional for Monday of Holy Week

Holy Week Prayers for Holy Tuesday (Day 3)

6. Lord Jesus, it was on a Tuesday that you spoke out against abuse of power, collaboration with oppressors, misuse of authority. So today we pray, comforter of the abused, strengthen those burdened by corrupted rule or injustice; rescue the overwhelmed; be present to those who call on your name, to those we name on our lips, and in the silence of our hearts, those whose concerns are known only to you; Amen. —Bob Hostetler

7. May I be a true follower of Jesus. The temple has been cleansed of all its wrongdoing. I come to you, God, to cleanse my soul. Amen. —Rick Hamlin

Holy Week Prayers for Holy Wednesday (Day 4)

8. Lord Jesus, it was on this day that Judas Iscariot conspired to betray you. Remembering that, I pray the prayer of Augustine: “Lord Jesus, don’t let me lie when I say that I love you…and protect me today, for I could betray you.” Amen. —Bob Hostetler

9. Who would ever betray, You, Lord? Not I, not I. Let me pour the ointment of my love on all You call me to do and all those I am called to love. Amen. —Rick Hamlin

10. Gracious Lord Jesus, this day is traditionally called “Spy Wednesday,” because we remember how Judas Iscariot conspired with the religious authorities to betray and deliver You into their hands. Yet also on that day You were lovingly anointed with precious oil as an act of sincere worship. What highs and lows You endured for the sake of the purpose that was set before You: to suffer and die for our sake. Walk with me through the highs and lows of my life, reminding me that whatever troubles come my way, You are worthy of my trust and adoration. Amen. —Bob Hostetler

Holy Week Prayers for Maundy Thursday (Day 5)

11. Lord, on this Maundy Thursday (so named for the “mandate” You gave to your followers to love and serve each other), as I remember your last supper in the upper room, I pray, as Simon Peter did: Please wash, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head (John 13:9). —Bob Hostetler

12. Before I eat the supper of Your body and Your blood, I am prepared to wash the feet of all Your followers, and willingly let You wash my feet. Amen. —Rick Hamlin

13. Lord Jesus, I pray today with Peter, who recoiled when you stooped to wash his feet: “Lord, wash, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.” And my heart. And my mind. And my life. Amen. —Bob Hostetler (based on John 13:9)

READ MORE: The Heart of Maundy Thursday

Holy Week Prayer for Good Friday (Day 6)

14. No Cherub’s heart or hand for us might ache,
No Seraph’s heart of fire had half sufficed:
Thine own were pierced and broken for our sake,
O Jesus Christ.

Therefore we love Thee with our faint good-will,
We crave to love Thee not as heretofore,
To love Thee much, to love Thee more, and still
More and yet more.

—Christina Rossetti

15. “Were you there when they crucified my Lord?” I was there. I’m still there. The sorrow is so great it causes me to tremble. Is there any greater sorrow? Amen. —Rick Hamlin

16. Am I a stone, and not a sheep,

That I can stand, O Christ, beneath Thy cross,

To number drop by drop Thy blood’s slow loss,

And yet not weep?

Not so those women loved

Who with exceeding grief lamented Thee;

Not so fallen Peter weeping bitterly;

Not so the thief was moved;

Not so the Sun and Moon

Which hid their faces in a starless sky,

A horror of great darkness at broad noon–

I, only I.

Yet give not o’er,

But seek Thy sheep, true Shepherd of the flock;

Greater than Moses, turn and look once more

And smite a rock.

—Christina Rossetti

READ MORE: Why Good Friday Is So Important

Holy Week Prayers for Silent Saturday (Day 7)

17. Lord Jesus, Jesus, I await you. Be risen anew in my heart as the light of Easter dawns tomorrow. Amen. —Bob Hostetler

18. It is finished. All is silent. Jesus promised more…but I can’t even recollect those words. Stay close to me, Lord, as I suffer this loss. Amen. —Rick Hamlin

19. Lord Jesus, this day is called “Silent Saturday” in the memory of the Church, for on that day after Your crucifixion, Your body lay in the tomb while those who had loved and followed You spent the day filled with crushing grief, confusion, and doubt. So, Lord, remind me today that, however sad, confused, and doubtful I may feel, in my flesh, You are always at work, and Your plans for me are good. Amen. —Bob Hostetler

Holy Week Prayers for Easter Sunday (Day 8)

20. The tomb is empty, and at first, I didn’t even recognize my Lord. At last, I understand. Death is no more. I sing Hallelujah. The Lord is risen indeed. —Rick Hamlin

READ MORE: The Easter Story in 14 Bible Passages

21. It is only right, with all the powers of our heart and mind, to praise You, Father, and Your Only-begotten Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ: Dear Father, by Your wondrous condescension of loving-kindness toward us, Your servants, You gave up Your Son. Dear Jesus, You paid the debt of Adam for us to the Eternal Father by Your Blood poured forth in loving-kindness. You cleared away the darkness of sin by Your magnificent and radiant Resurrection. You broke the bonds of death and rose from the grave as a Conqueror. You reconciled heaven and earth. Our life had no hope of eternal happiness before You redeemed us. Your Resurrection has washed away our sins, restored our innocence and brought us joy. How inestimable is the tenderness of Your love! —Saint Gregory

You may choose to pray these to begin each day in this Holy Week. Or you may pray each prayer several times a day. How ever you utilize these Holy Week prayers, I hope they will enrich your walk with God and make this week truly holy.

READ MORE ABOUT HOLY WEEK:

• How The Miracles of Holy Week Fortified His Faith
• 4 Powerful Good Friday Devotions
• Good Friday Reflection: The Message of the Cross
• 10 Acts of Kindness to do for Easter

The post 21 Holy Week Prayers appeared first on Guideposts.

In my earlier years, the day was filled with doom and gloom. As I grew in my faith so did my understanding of the message of the cross. Here is a Good Friday reflection to guide you through this holy day.

READ MORE: Why Is Good Friday So Important?

Good Friday Reflection

On Good Friday, the words of Apostle Paul become real to me, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

Crucifixion was an exceedingly common in antiquity. The Romans conventionalized it as a form of state punishment. For many the death of Jesus on the cross is a mystery; for others madness. For me, the cross expresses the power of an amazing love.

We know from history that in Jesus’ time there were many claiming to be the Messiah but only one wasn’t forgotten…. the One who changed the course of history. On Good Friday the cross of shame, defeat and failure was transformed into a symbol of victory.

READ MORE: 8 Prayers for Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday

What could compel Jesus to give his life, be tortured and humiliated on the cross? Love. In the Bible, we read the words of Jesus in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” He thought of us above all else, so that we would experience the power of love through forgiveness, the abundant life and external life. The cross of death became the gift of life!

What could compel Jesus to give his life, be tortured and humiliated on the cross? Love.

Today I still miss my childhood Good Friday services and reflection, but no matter where I am, the message of the cross remains the same…God loves us. What does the cross mean to you? Do you have any childhood memories of a Good Friday service? Share your story with us in the comments field below.

Lord, thank you for your amazing love expressed through Christ on the cross. May we experience the power of Your love in our lives.

READ MORE ABOUT GOOD FRIDAY AND HOLY WEEK REFLECTIONS:

• 16 Holy Week Prayers
• A Devotion for Holy Week
• 4 Powerful Good Friday Devotions
• How The Miracles of Holy Week Fortified His Faith

The post Good Friday Reflection: The Message of the Cross appeared first on Guideposts.

I understood his hesitation. It sounds pretty embarrassing, doesn’t it? Being part of church congregation and marching outside, carrying palms, worshipping on a busy New York City block. I don’t expect we make a pretty picture. It’s always a big congregation on Palm Sunday and getting everybody organized to march outside and go down the block is unwieldy. What if someone was looking? What if someone he knew saw him?

But we should remember, there is a history and meaning to this Palm Sunday tradition.

What is a Palm Sunday Parade?

A Palm Sunday parade, also called the palm procession, is when a church congregation parades outside after the palm fronds are blessed. The parade usually includes singing, prayer, and members of the church wearing religious vestments while carrying important religious icons, items, and the blessed palm fronds.

READ MORE: 5 Palm Sunday Devotions

The Meaning of Palm Sunday Parades

Palm Sunday parades commemorate Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The scene is described in various New Testament gospels, specifically the Book of Matthew, the Book of Mark, the Book of Luke, and the Book of John. The palms signify how the people of Jerusalem welcomed Jesus on the city streets with palm fronds in their hands. As John 12:12-13 states:

The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel!”

READ MORE: 15 Palm Sunday Bible Verses

Palm Sunday Parade Reflection

Our congregation tries to sing while we process, making our loud “Hosannas. The front part of the procession usually gets ahead of the back part of the procession so we don’t even end up singing together. We’re just a disjoint group of people staring at programs and hymnals, stuck at a traffic signal.

And yet, I’m always struck by the wonder of it. Palm Sunday is a chance to take our faith outside and put it on parade. What an occasion of witness.

Palm Sunday is a chance to take our faith outside and put it on parade.

Maybe someone will look up from their Sunday Times, glance out the window and think, “Those people must really believe in what they’re doing or they wouldn’t risk looking so foolish.” But remember that Paul made the point in his letter to the Corinthians that what looks foolish to the world can be God’s wisdom at work, “because the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom.”

Maybe foolishness itself is important to experience on Palm Sunday. Think of how self-conscious the disciples must have felt when they were walking along behind Jesus on the colt with the people shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”

Didn’t they worry about being noticed? Weren’t the apostles wary of what this hosanna-singing crowd really thought? After all, in less than a week, some of these same people waving their palm branches would be urging the authorities to crucify Jesus.

The phrase that comes to mind for this little Palm Sunday parade is “ritual humiliation.” The events of Holy Week, after all, led to a tremendous, monstrous humiliation. When we celebrate Holy Week we walk through what Jesus’ followers felt–their bewilderment, their despair, their fear and their faltering faith.

Don’t I feel all those things when I contemplate Jesus’ suffering?

Palm Sunday is a mixed celebration, a parade that ends in a minor key. Sorrow hovers close by. We start out singing hymns of praise and then we end contemplating the Crucifixion.

“Yes, we walk outside on Palm Sunday,” I wrote back to my friend. “It’s a little embarrassing and I’m sure we look foolish, but it’s a good foolishness. It’s a way to welcome what is coming, a getting ready for Easter, which has always looked like foolishness to the world. Come to church with us. I’ll give you a palm frond of your own to carry.” I hope he comes this year.

READ MORE ABOUT PALM SUNDAY AND HOLY WEEK:

• 3 Ways to Celebrate Palm Sunday
• Showing Up on Palm Sunday
• A Devotion for Holy Week
• 6 Holy Week Prayers

The post What is a Palm Sunday Parade? appeared first on Guideposts.

Has this ever happened to you? You’re in the office, you notice a smudge on your colleague’s forehead—it looks to be in the shape of a cross—and you’re about to offer them a handkerchief. Then you remember. It must be Ash Wednesday. Consider what we can learn from this day. Could an Ash Wednesday reflection bring us closer to God?

What is Ash Wednesday?

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent. On this day, many people attend church service, where a cross will be put on their forehead with ashes. These ashes are meant to signify our mortality. The tradition is accompanied with the sacred words: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” This is the date many people start their Lenten fasting or the practice of giving something up.

Lent is a time to prepare our hearts for Easter and growing our relationship with Christ. It takes place during the 40 days leading up to Easter (not counting Sundays). Those 40 days is a reference to the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness before beginning His ministry. A chance for us to take our own wilderness journeys.

Taking the time to reflect on what this single day of Ash Wednesday means can be an important step to making your Lenten season more meaningful and spiritually fulfilling.

5 Ash Wednesday Reflections

Here are some lessons we can learn from this holy day. Reflect on them and how you can bring them into your own life. Is there something else we can take away from Ash Wednesday after the service is done?

1. We are human

The words from Genesis are read at most Ash Wednesday services, what God told Adam and Eve when they were kicked out of Eden: “…you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” It’s a reminder of our own mortality, something we all have in common. I like to hold that thought in prayer. It’s reassuring, a chance to step back from my ego-centric wishes and let God enter in.

2. We are God’s children

A small group from our church stands on a busy New York City corner on Ash Wednesday and offers “ashes to go.” They mark passersby with the sign of the cross and pray for them. When my son Tim did it, a bus driver pulled up, opened the door, signaled for Tim to come in so he could get ashes on his forehead, then drove off. Whether you ask for ashes in a church–or on a street corner–they are a mark that we’re all made by same Maker. Good to remember on a busy day.

3. We’re not stuck in the wilderness forever

Jesus was there for only 40 days. There was an end to His trials. While He was in the desert He had to say no to the temptations of power, success, wealth, prestige (the devil can be so sneaky) and then the angels came and took care of Him. Think of that when you face a time of trial. Stay true to who you are. The angels are ready to help.

4. Be startled by the cross

Crosses are so fashionable these days, appearing on dresses, cloaks, gowns, jewelry, that it’s easy to forget how shocking the cross really is. Someone once said it would be like wearing an image of an electric chair around your neck. But most often that cross is empty, a reminder of what’s coming. “He is risen,” we say at Easter. He is risen indeed.

5. We are what we believe

I confess that I felt so self-conscious about getting ashes on Ash Wednesday and everybody seeing them on my forehead (“Why is that person on the subway staring at me?”) that I avoided it for years. Even now I do it at the end of the day. But to believe something is like putting a “heart” emoji on it for all to see. Seems like the cross on my forehead says the same thing.

Ash Wednesday and Lent Quotes

• “Even the darkest moments of the liturgy are filled with joy, and Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lenten fast, is a day of happiness, a Christian feast.” —Thomas Merton
• “God refuses to give up, and we who are enlisted to be fellow-workers with God know that the only reason we continue is that death did not have the last word; that Good Friday was not the end of the story.” —Desmond Tutu
• “Do you wish your prayer to fly toward God? Make for it two wings: fasting and almsgiving.” —Saint Augustine of Hippo
• “O Lord, make this Lenten season different from the other ones. Let me find you again. Amen.” —Henri Nouwen
• “The Lent period of fasting should be passionately pursued.” ―Lailah Gifty Akita

READ ASH WEDNESDAY AND LENT REFLECTION:

• Why We Can Say “Happy Ash Wednesday”
• 20 Lent Bible Verses for Reflection and Guidance
• 4 Ways to Observe Lent Wherever You Are
• 7 One-Word Prayers for Lent

The post What Ash Wednesday Means appeared first on Guideposts.

• A Unique Way to Use Lent Prayers
• 7 Lent Prayers to Strengthen Your Faith
• The Purpose of Fasting
• How to Fast
• 3 Short Prayers for Fasting

A Unique Way to Use Lent Prayers

Last year, instead of giving something up like sugar or chocolate, I wanted to offer time and intentional appreciation during my Lent fasting. Something simple enough to continue all 40 days. Could I do this with Lenten prayers?

I made a list of 40 people who make my life better and hand wrote a note and prayer to each of them. My wonderful sister. A friend who mows my yard because I have chronic back pain. My mother. A friend who faithfully prays for me. My veterinarian, who helps me care for my aging German shepherd. The baggers at my favorite grocery store. “You came to mind as I was counting my blessings,” I wrote. “I wanted to write to tell you how much I appreciate you. You really bless my life!” So many people said they were touched to be remembered out of the blue that Lenten season. But I’m thankful for their kindness all year.

May your own Lenten journey of prayer through the wilderness of this world lead you to the glorious message of new life. Let these Lent prayers deepen your connection to Him in this holy season.

7 Lent Prayers to Strengthen Your Faith

Morning Prayers for Lent

1. Dear Lord, as I begin my journey toward spiritual growth, help me to look deep within myself and let go of the old and embrace the new life that comes from you. Amen.

2. Father, help me to see this holy season of Lent as a time of spiritual renewal, rather than a time of deprivation. Motivate me to reach a new level of experiencing Your grace. Amen.

Evening Prayers for Lent

3. Heavenly Father, during this Lenten season, give me a new and expanded vision for my life. Help me to live full of faith. Teach me to find hope in the face of adversity. Amen.

4. For God alone my soul waits in silence; for Him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress. I shall not be greatly moved. Amen. (Psalm 61:1-2)

Short Prayers for Lent

5. Lord, Jesus Christ, fill me, I pray, with Your light and life. Amen. (Saint Ignatius of Loyola)

6. May this season of repentance bring us the blessing of Your forgiveness and the gift of Your light. Amen. 

7. As a deer pants for water brooks, so my soul longs for Thee, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God… Amen. (Psalm 42:1-2)

The Purpose of Fasting

If we were to meet an early Christian and ask about his or her most important spiritual discipline, the answer might surprise us. Because there’s a good chance Lent fasting would be high on the list. In fact, the New Testament contains about 20 references to fasting (depending on the version or translation you’re using). It was an important and valued part of early Christian experience. Fasting has various spiritual benefits and prayers for fasting can help us feel more connected to God during our period of fasting.

Yet some followers of Jesus today don’t fast. Some of us barely know what fasting is. Put simply, fasting is denying yourself something—usually (but not always) food—for a set period of time in order to focus your heart and mind more fully on God.

Early Christians fasted and prayed for clear direction and during special seasons of need. Fasting wasn’t only for special occasions, however; it was a way of exercising self-control and dethroning one’s all-too-human appetites while also aspiring to a new level of intimacy with and devotion to God. Fasting and prayer go together beautifully, especially during Lent fasting.

READ MORE: 15 Inspiring Bible Verses for Fasting

How to Fast

Whether you’ve tried before or not, or whether you’ve tried-and-failed or not, consider a fast as a way of enriching and expanding your spiritual life. There are numerous ways to do it. You may fast from food—for a meal, perhaps, or for a day. You may, as many do, fast from red meat on Fridays during Lent. You may fast from eating out or from eating dessert. But a Lent fast doesn’t have to be food-related. You may fast from a pleasure or a habit for a certain period. Common things people give up during Lent fasting include:

• Stopping negative thoughts about themselves or others
• Giving up social media or doomscrolling
• Avoiding drinking or smoking
• Giving up being sarcastic
• Giving up nail-biting
• Not gossiping

Whatever you fast from and however you choose to do it, Lent fasting can do wonderful and unexpected things in and for you—particularly if you soak your fast in prayer.

3 Short Prayers for Fasting

1. Prayer for Before Your Lent Fast

God, You are my God, and I seek You earnestly (Psalm 63:1). I seek You as I undertake this fast. I bow before You and ask You to purge me of all unworthy thoughts, words and deeds. Forgive my sins as I forgive those who have sinned against me. Keep me strong and alert during my fast. Protect me from the Evil One, deliver me from temptation and steer my mind and heart away from all distractions. Help me to bring my spirit, soul, body and mind into subjection and focus them on You, to Whom all praise belongs, amen. 

2. Prayer for During Your Lent Fast

Lord, the great and awesome God, Who keeps Your covenant of love with those who love You and keep Your commandments (Daniel 9:4), I give myself to You. I love You more than these things from which I fast. I seek You more than my own comfort and pleasure. Meet me here. Amen.   

3. Prayer for When Your Lent Fast Ends

Almighty God, my Father, thank You for being with me as I fasted. Stay with me as my fast ends, that I may not wane in my devotion to You. Remind me always of the purpose of Your fast, as You revealed through Isaiah: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke, to share my food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter, to clothe the naked and not to turn away from your my flesh and blood. Then, let it be so that my light will break forth like the dawn, and my healing will quickly appear, that my righteousness will go before me, and the glory of the Lord will be my rear guard, that I will call, and You will answer, that I will cry for help, and You will say: Here am I (see Isaiah 58:6-9). 

READ MORE ABOUT LENT FASTING AND LENT PRAYERS:

• Is Lent in the Bible?
• A Special Lent Devotion
• 10 Ways to Observe a Green Lent
  
• 20 Beautiful Lent Quotes to Inspire You
• 5 Fun, Easy and Faith-Filled Ideas for Lent

The post 10 Inspiring Prayers for Lent and Fasting appeared first on Guideposts.

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 NIV

Lent is a blessed time of year, a time to devote yourself to developing a closer relationship with God. In the coming days, you have the magnificent opportunity to deepen your faith and reflect on the life and message Jesus shared with the world.

Why Join a Lenten Prayer Program?

During this beautiful time of renewal, focus on your faith and God’s amazing ability to bring good out of bad. In just three days, the pain and sorrow of Good Friday became the joy and glory of Easter. No matter what challenges you face, you can look forward in faith knowing that God can restore what is broken and change it into something amazing (Joel 2:25). By joining a Lenten Prayer Program, you can be reminded of this and the meaning of Lent through emails sent directly to your inbox.

What is our Lenten Prayer Program?

Join our free Lenten Prayer Program and each morning you’ll receive an uplifting email from us. The program runs every day except Sundays, from Ash Wednesday (February 22, 2023) to Holy Saturday (April 8, 2023). These emails will include:

• Inspiring scripture
• Lenten reflection
• A daily Lent prayer
• An opportunity to send a prayer request to be prayed for by our caring community

How to Sign Up

Join us for daily reflections aimed at deepening your prayer life and relationship with Jesus. Go to our Newsletter Sign-Up page and sign up for our 30-Day Prayer Programs newsletter. This will enable us to send a daily Lent Prayer Program email directly to your inbox so you can pray and reflect for all 40 days of Lent.

READ MORE ABOUT THE LENTEN SEASON:

• A Special Lent Devotion
• 10 Ways to Observe a Green Lent
• 15 Inspiring Bible Verses for Fasting
• 20 Beautiful Lent Quotes to Inspire You
• 5 Fun, Easy and Faith-Filled Ideas for Lent

The post Join Our Lenten Prayer Program appeared first on Guideposts.

The St. Ephrem prayer is a classic prayer most often used during Lent, a time of fasting and the spiritual practice of giving something up. What is the history of this prayer? Who wrote it? And why is it associated with the Lenten season? Could this simple prayer help us gain a deeper understanding of the meaning of Lent?

Who was St. Ephrem?

Saint Ephrem (or Ephraim) the Syrian was born around the year A.D. 306 in Nisibis, a Syrian town located in modern-day Turkey.

In some reports, Ephrem’s father was a pagan priest, but there are indications that both of his parents were (at least later in Ephrem’s life) Christians. Ephrem was baptized as a young man by Bishop James of Nisibis.

He lived in a period when churches were suffering great persecution under the Roman Emperor Diocletian. He became highly respected in his hometown, but later fled with other Christians to Edessa, where he continued teaching and praying.

St. Ephrem wrote prolifically. He composed more than 1000 poems and hymns, earning him the name, “Harp of the Faith.” He composed prayers, sermons in metrical form and wrote commentaries on the Old Testament and on Paul’s Epistles. He died in Edessa in A.D. 373 while ministering to victims of the plague.

However he is most famous today for “The Prayer of Righteous Ephrem,” also called “The St. Ephrem Prayer,” which continues to be used during Lent by Orthodox Churches. It is considered to be the classic Lenten prayer, used in all weekday Lenten services in Orthodox churches and several times a day in private prayers during Lent.

READ MORE: A Special Lenten Devotion

The St. Ephrem Prayer

Here are the word of the St. Ephrem prayer:

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. Amen.

How to Pray the St. Ephrem Prayer

It is traditional to do the following when praying the Lenten Prayer of St. Ephrem:

• Kneel—or prostrate yourself, face to the floor—at the end of each verse
• Rise again to recite the next line of the prayer
• Repeat until the prayer concludes

However you choose to pray the St. Ephrem prayer—several times a day, like our Orthodox brothers and sisters, or daily, or simply once a week or one time during your Lenten journey—it can help your observance this year reflect a true Lenten spirit.

READ MORE ABOUT LENT PRAYERS AND PRACTICES:

• 10 Inspiring Prayers for Lent and Fasting
  
• 5 Fun, Easy and Faith-Filled Ideas for Lent
  
• 20 Beautiful Lent Quotes to Inspire You
• 10 Ways to Observe a Green Lent
• 20 Unique Lent Gifts
  

The post Pray the Lenten Prayer of St. Ephrem appeared first on Guideposts.

Lent is the 40 days leading up to Easter, historically a time of fasting and prayer, getting ready for the celebration of the Resurrection. It is a time to give something up and draw closer to God. For many people, it is a yearly spiritual practice they’ve done since they were young. For some, it’s a new practice, perhaps to try something different or learn about the spiritual benefits of fasting. No matter your history with Lent, there’s always a chance to learn something new about it. Like, why is it called Lent?

READ MORE: What is Lent? Answers to Your Biggest Questions

Why Is It Called Lent?

The word “Lent” comes from the old English “lencten,” which means spring. This is the early spring—and if your area is anything like mine, the crocuses are pushing up through the earth, a sure sign that spring is on the way.

The early Christians celebrated baptism at Easter and so they would dedicate the weeks beforehand as a time to prepare, to be reconciled to God by a period of penitence and fasting.

At first it was just a few weeks and then it became the 40 days that we know today—and remember that’s 40 not counting the Sundays which are technically feast days and not fast days.

So Lent was a description of the time of year this was all happening, spring coming to the earth as renewal was making its way to us.

READ MORE: Is Lent in the Bible?

A Deeper Meaning for the Word “Lent”

But let me try out another felicitous way of thinking of the word “Lent.”  Lent, as in lending something to someone, letting them have it because it’s yours to loan.

Sometimes you’ll hear the phrase, “borrowed time,” as in “He’s living on borrowed time.” But recently I read how in the 18th century a different expression was used. They would say “lent time.”

“Borrowed time” focuses on us and our notion of controlling our future. “Lent time” puts the emphasis back on God.

It’s a switch in emphasis. “Borrowed time” focuses on us and our notion of controlling our future. “Lent time” puts the emphasis back on God. Every moment is precious, every moment is lent by the divine.

Think of these precious days as something to be celebrated because they have been lent to us by the greatest of all. The Bible says, “You are dust and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19), a phrase that we repeat at Lent, a reminder of our mortality.

We are lent to the earth, to a life of joy and sorrow, to a life of love because we are loved by God.

READ MORE ABOUT THE LENTEN SEASON:

• What Is the Meaning of Lent: Why Do We Observe It?
• 20 Lent Bible Verses for Reflection and Guidance
• 5 Fun, Easy and Faith-Filled Ideas for Lent
  
• 20 Beautiful Lent Quotes to Inspire You
• 10 Ways to Observe a Green Lent

The post Why Do We Call It Lent? appeared first on Guideposts.

The root of the word “Advent” is “to come,” and this whole season is about not just the coming of Christmas but the coming of our Savior. Often, we find ourselves earnestly waiting for something. But in this instance, we’re waiting for something that has come and will continue to enrich our lives. Let’s turn to the Advent wreath.

As you light your Advent wreath, lighting a new candle every Sunday until you light that last candle in the middle, the Christmas candle, use it as a time to pray. Not just with hope but with certainty. The Good News has come. Jesus is here to change our lives.

The First Candle

Look back at the year. What can you give thanks for? Or what prayers are you still waiting to be answered? Bring them before the Lord. God wants to hear them. And in saying them, we become aware of how God is moving in our lives. You might even want to sing a carol as you gaze at your Advent wreath. “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” perhaps. That word Emmanuel means “God with us.”

The Second Candle

Use this as a moment to look forward. What do you anticipate in the New Year? What exciting things are happening in your life? Or what milestones might be laid? A significant birthday perhaps, or the upcoming birth of a new baby. Whether you have a loved one who is pregnant or not, we can all pray for new birth. Peace in the world. A new job, a new purpose. Hopes and goals that we share with the Lord.

The Third Candle

Consider those who have gone before us, who paved the way and continue even from heavenly realms to pave the way. I recall something C.S. Lewis once said, that as you get older it becomes impossible not to pray just for the living but also the dead. I grieve the loss of my dear parents. Yet I don’t doubt they are still here. I can still feel their love. Like God’s love.

The Fourth Candle

Think about now. Think about how God is right here with us. Honor the divine that’s present. Look at that wreath. Those candles. The wax that has dripped down. The illuminating light that comes from all four candles lit at once. You might even sing “Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly.” The halls are decorated, and the tree is probably up by now. Soon the stockings will be hung from the chimney with care. See it with eyes of delight. Forget, for a moment, how many shopping days are left till Christmas. God is right here. In the now.

The Christmas Candle

If the other four candles are white, this is often pink or red. You’ve been waiting to put that Babe in a manger. Now you can as you light this candle at the center of the Advent wreath, the nexus for all we are. Feel free to ring forth with carols. “Hark the Herald Angels Sing,” “The First Noel,” “Silent Night.” The wreath might age and decay, the leaves turning brown. But as Jesus reminded us, we are the light of the world. In faith we can let our candles burn. “Joy to the World” has come.

Read More: Our Picks for the Best Advent Candles and Holders

The post How to Pray Over Your Advent Wreath appeared first on Guideposts.

The Lonely and Overlooked in the Bible

The Christmas story in Matthew’s and Luke’s Gospels suggests that God pays special attention to lonely and overlooked people. Here are some examples:

• Though Mary and Joseph probably called on family upon their arrival in Bethlehem, apparently no one saved a place for them.
• Until the angel’s announcement, the night-shift shepherds (who occupied one of the lowest social and economic statuses at the time) had to work while others visited and celebrated.
• When the shepherds arrived at the place of Jesus’ birth, they “found Mary and Joseph, and the baby” (Luke 2:16 NIV)—apparently without family or friends present to celebrate with them.
• After the birth of Jesus, His parents took Him to the Jerusalem Temple. There they encountered aged Simeon and the widow, Anna, two people who had long outlived friends and loved ones.
• Later, a courtly caravan of travelers who had traveled long and far from home found the holy family and brought gifts to Jesus.
• Still later, Joseph—having been warned in a dream—packed up his young family and took to the road. They then became refugees in a foreign land as they waited for circumstances in their homeland to change.

A Christmas Prayer for Today’s Lonely and Overlooked

We might say the key participants in the first Christmas were The Forgotten. The Lower Class. The Lonely. The Overlooked. The Wayfarers. The Refugees. So, what better time of year to pray for their present-day equivalent than during this special season, with a short litany like the following:

Lord God, in this special season, I come to You on behalf of those whose holidays are mournful reminders of loss or lack in their lives.

I pray for those who, perhaps like Mary and Joseph upon their arrival in Bethlehem, feel forgotten or excluded over the holidays.

I pray for those who, perhaps like the shepherds, are required to work while others sleep or celebrate.

I pray for those who, perhaps like Simeon and Anna, have outlived many friends and loved ones.

I pray for those who, like the magi, are traveling or far from home over the holidays.

I pray for those who, like the holy family who escaped to Egypt, are refugees in foreign lands.

I pray also for prisoners, patients, or invalids, along with those who are stranded or sidelined during this blessed season.

I cry out to You who “is close to the brokenhearted” (Psalm 34:18 NIV). I ask You to be close to and shower Your favor on all of the above, in the name of Jesus, Your beloved and only-begotten Son, amen.

May God bless you richly as you offer a Christmas prayer for the needs of others. Remember those who experience loneliness and sorrow while others are celebrating with family and friends.

The post A Christmas Prayer for Those Who Are Lonely and Forgotten appeared first on Guideposts.

In my hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, there is a church atop a hill called Mt. Adams. For more than 160 years, Good Friday worshipers have slowly ascended 85 steps from the neighborhood below to the church’s front doors, pausing to kneel and pray on each step. It’s a practice they’ve repeated year after year, decade after decade, step after step, as a way of kneeling their way to the cross of Jesus. But here’s a way to make that an Advent practice.

For centuries, followers of Jesus have “knelt” and prayed their way to the manger in the week before Christmas. They do it by means of a series of songs, or chants, called “The O Antiphons or Great Advent Antiphons.

Many Christians know them as a part of vespers or evensong services on each of the last seven days of Advent. Others have encountered them (though they may not have known the connection to the ancient antiphons) as the verses of the Advent hymn, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.”

So, what if during these final days leading up to Christmas, you incorporated this as a new Advent practice? And you “knelt” your way to Christmas Eve by singing or praying a different verse of that hymn? The following could serve as a helpful guide:

December 17 (“O Wisdom”)

O come, O Wisdom from on high,
who ordered all things mightily;
to us the path of knowledge show
and teach us in its ways to go.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

December 18 (“O Adonai”)

O come, O come, great Lord of might,
who to your tribes on Sinai’s height
in ancient times did give the law
in cloud and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

December 19 (“O Root of Jesse”)

O come, O Branch of Jesse’s stem,
unto your own and rescue them!
From depths of hell your people save,
and give them victory o’er the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

December 20 (“O Key of David”)

O come, O Key of David, come
and open wide our heavenly home.
Make safe for us the heavenward road
and bar the way to death’s abode.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

December 21 (“O Dayspring”)

O come, O Bright and Morning Star,
and bring us comfort from afar!
Dispel the shadows of the night
and turn our darkness into light.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

December 22 (“O King of Nations”)

O come, O King of nations, bind
in one the hearts of all mankind.
Bid all our sad divisions cease
and be yourself our King of Peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

December 23 (“O Emmanuel”)

O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

By singing or speaking these lines with your family and friends—and with worshiping Christians around the world—we can, in this Advent practice, kneel together and pray our way to the manger this Christmas.

The post An Advent Practice: Pray Your Way to the Manger appeared first on Guideposts.

For decades our staff and prayer community have come together on this special day to pray over the thousands of prayer requests we receive from every corner of the country. This year, the event is entitled TOGETHER: A Pre-Thanksgiving Day of Prayer. Brown reflects on the name change. “The power of unity, of coming together—whether it is to pray or just be in fellowship—is profound. In light of everything that is going on in the world, we are so grateful for the opportunity to be together. We plan to host other events around the theme of being together.”

We’re excited to welcome Pastor Sam Rodriguez, founder of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference and author of the best-selling books Be Light and Persevere with Power. He was called “one of America’s most influential voices” by the New York Times.

The event will also be elevated with a live performance by country singer-songwriter Brennley Brown. The California native, catapulted to fame in 2017 when she appeared on the NBC reality show The Voice. She is best known for her hits “One More Hallelujah” and “Friendship Song.” Entertainment Weekly praised her “strong vocals, emotional resonance, impressive escalation skills, and best of all, pure imagination.” We can’t wait to see which song (or songs!) she shares with us on Monday.

See you on November 21 at 7:00 pm ET on Guideposts’ Facebook and YouTube channels.

The post Join Us for a Pre-Thanksgiving Day of Prayer appeared first on Guideposts.