Friday, March 12, 2010

Lenten Prayer of Humility

Psalm 25:6-10 (New American Standard Bible)

Remember, O LORD, Your compassion and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they have been from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
According to Your lovingkindness remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O LORD.
Good and upright is the LORD;
Therefore He instructs sinners in the way.
He leads the humble in justice,
And He teaches the humble His way.
All the paths of the LORD are lovingkindness and truth
To those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.


Prayer of Humility


Our most gracious heavenly father,

We come to you with humble and contrite hearts this evening.

We know that our ways are not your ways. We all want our own way -- and that gets in the way of what you want to do in our lives, our homes, our church, and our community. We confess that even after you have instructed us in your way -- each of us has gone our own way. Forgive us, Lord.

May your grace and mercy blot out the memory of our sins and shortcomings and restore a clean heart within us. Thank-you for loving us more than we deserve. Help us to learn to love others the way that you have loved us.

Let this Lenten season become time for a reflection and renewal and let it become a fresh opportunity to commit ourselves to showing the kind of humility that you revealed to us in the incarnation of your Son.

Deliver us from the desire for approval by others, for praise from others, and for preference over others.

Give us courage to accept whatever ridicule, rejection and rebuke we must face for walking in your ways -– even when this comes from your followers.

Grant us the grace to see more in others than they see in us, to give others more than we receive from them, and to love others more than they love us.

We ask this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen.

This prayer was given at NorthHaven Church's 2010 Ash Wednesday service.

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