This is an excerpt from the new resource, Our Certain Hope: Prayers for Lent and Easter. Receive the full prayer book by signing up for Carmen’s monthly newsletter, Keeping up with Carmen.
Holy Lord, we acknowledge Your goodness and greatness this day. We acknowledge that our ways are not Your ways neither are our thoughts your thoughts. We acknowledge that there is nowhere that we can flee from Your presence, and there is nowhere else to run when we are troubled but into Your everlasting, ever loving embrace.
Holy God, we know that You are weaving of our lives a beautiful tapestry; threads that are a part of the great unfolding of Your will in the world. We know that the dark threads are needful for the pattern You have planned. But it hurts, Lord. Confusion and grief and unfulfilled dreams pull us down. Despair and debt, loneliness, fatigue and heartbreak leave us weary of doing good.
Even now, as we prepare our hearts for the Lenten season, we feel the discouragement of the brokenness— both around us and within us.
Restore us, Lord. Heal us. Awaken us to the ever-present desire in Your heart to hold us, help us, and lead us. Precious Lord, take us by the hand. When we are tired, when we are weak, when we are worn; through the storms, through the night, lead us on to Your light. Take our hand, precious Lord, lead us home. In the name of the One whose hands reached out in love upon the cross, we pray. Amen
When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.Psalm 34:17-18
