{"id":1533,"date":"2017-03-01T19:33:47","date_gmt":"2017-03-01T19:33:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/craigfinnestad.com\/?p=1533"},"modified":"2017-03-01T19:33:47","modified_gmt":"2017-03-01T19:33:47","slug":"a-prayer-for-lent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/craigfinnestad.com\/?p=1533","title":{"rendered":"A Prayer for Lent"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is a longer prayer from\u00a0Prayers from The Water’s Edge<\/a>. I wrote it to be prayed daily during Lent. I encourage you to pray it (or parts of it) starting today (Ash Wednesday) and continue praying it until the day before Easter, April 15th. Find a few words or phrases and focus on a small part of the prayer each day. For example, ask yourself what it would look like for you to turn from fear to freedom or how you are going to make the most of the time God gives you.<\/p>\n

Dear God,<\/p>\n

It is Lent. A season of renewal.
\nDays of reflection. Nights of replenishment.
\nWeeks of repairing and refocusing. Ending in a day of resurrection and rebirth.<\/p>\n

Grant me discipline. Discipline to be faithful.
\nDiscipline to hunger for Your Word.
\nDiscipline to thirst for conversation and quiet time with You.
\nDiscipline to love what You love and to love like You love.
\nTeach me again that discipline yields a rich harvest of grace and peace.
\nRemove any obstacles between us and move me closer to You.<\/p>\n

Bless me with repentance.
\nTo turn away from anything that distances me from You.
\nTo turn from lust to love.
\nTo turn from fear to freedom.
\nTo turn from jealousy to justice.
\nTo turn from selfishness to service.
\nTo turn from haughtiness to humility.
\nTo turn from gluttony and greed to goodness and grace.
\nTo turn from doubting and depression to depending fully on You.
\nTo turn from worshipping counterfeit gods to worshipping You.
\nHelp me repent of my sins and turn to You, so my sins are wiped away.<\/p>\n

Remind me of my mortality.
\nI was created from dust and to dust I shall return.
\nMy time in the world You created is limited.
\nHelp me make the most of it.
\nLet Your dreams for me be my dreams for me.
\nMake my purposes clear. Give me a passion for my purposes.
\nAnd let me know that this world is not my permanent home.
\nYour Kingdom; Your heart is my true and eternal dwelling place.<\/p>\n

You are faithful to me.
\nRe-create me in Your image so I am faithful to You and others.
\nDo something in me during this season.
\nDo something small and do something big.
\nAnd as You do something in me, do something through me.
\nBless me and make me a blessing to others and to the world.
\nLet me experience the resurrection of Christ.
\nResurrect me. Give me a rebirth. Raise me to new levels of life.<\/p>\n

Amen.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This is a longer prayer from\u00a0Prayers from The Water’s Edge. I wrote it to be prayed daily during Lent. I encourage you to pray it (or parts of it) starting today (Ash Wednesday) and continue praying it until the day…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1534,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[159,144,160,113],"class_list":["post-1533","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-prayers","tag-ash-wednesday","tag-church-year","tag-lent","tag-prayers-from-the-waters-edge"],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t\n