A Prayer for the First Sunday of Lent

Dear God,

We enter your presence humbled that you will hear the needs of our heart.  We thank you for our many blessings.  You have given to us in abundance.  All that we need your hand has provided.  But like spoiled children, often the more we have the more we want.  Forgive us for our sin Lord.

Thank you for inviting us to join you in this journey of Lent.  Christ himself set us an example who being in very nature God, did not consider it something to use for His gain, but humbled himself in obedience even unto death on the cross.  May we remind ourselves of this self-sacrifice during this season of Lent.  Teach us to be thankful for and faithful with what we have and free us from the never-ending quest for more.  May we remember that just because it is possible for us to buy it, to eat it, to own it, or to keep it, that sometimes it truly is better to sacrifice.

This week has touched our hearts with yet another disaster stealing many lives and disrupting countless others.  In tragedy so large we don’t even have the language to know what is needed.  We want to pray for a fix, but what is broken cannot be restored without fault.  But we know that you have a way of making things new in ways even better than we can imagine.  We pray for your healing and restoration in the pacific.

We also pray for our own hearts and minds, along with those around the world.  These tragedies can shake our faith.  As we travel this Lenten journey and face tragedy both global and personal, may we remember that you are not a God removed from our suffering.  We know that Jesus wept while here on Earth, and we take strength from knowing that our God was, is and will ever be with us.

We are a people of blessing, may we live lives worthy of your call God.  We pray these things together and offer you the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray,

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.  Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us of our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.  Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever.  Amen.