From Repenting To Giving Thanks, Here Are 25 Lent Prayers for This Lenten Season

These prayers for Lent will inspire you to focus on God each day.

Before Easter arrives each spring, there is a period of time that the Church observes known as Lent. Throughout this time frame, Christians emphasize the importance of truly relying on God (instead of unproductive habits or idols), and growing in both faith and spiritual disciplines, like prayer. Need some inspiration? Look no further than these 25 Lent prayers!

The set-apart observance of Lent provides Christians the opportunity to reflect on the teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus, as well as look inward to make sure our priorities are in line with spiritual growth and true discipleship. So, while there is a theme of “going without” throughout the period of Lent (choosing to “give something up”), the more significant aspect of these weeks involves intentionally being filled with God instead. If you’re giving up social media until Easter Sunday and find yourself robotically opening up your phone before remembering the apps are gone, you can use that time to talk with Jesus. If you have chosen to give up gossiping, you can silently pray a quick prayer in the same pause of biting your tongue around others.

Whether you’re interested in Lenten prayers that are confessional by emphasizing our sin and God’s grace, or could use deeper examples of prayers to help strengthen your spiritual life during this particular Church season, or you need prayerful encouragement because you’re really missing whatever you have given up, these 25 prayers for Lent will inspire you to look to Christ each day—to His sacrifice on the cross, His victory over death, and the way He truly is all we need.

1. “Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I feel my sins. They bite, chase and frighten me. Where shall I go? I look to You, Lord Jesus Christ, and despite my weakness, I believe in You. I hold fast to You, and I am certain that You said, ‘Whoever believes in me will have eternal life.'” — Martin Luther

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2. “Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted of Satan: Make speed to help thy servants who are assaulted by manifold temptations; and, as thou knowest their several infirmities, let each one find thee mighty to save; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.” — “First Sunday in Lent,” Book of Common Prayer

3. “We choose to remember, Lord, that You are with us. We choose to remember that nothing can steal our worship and nothing can take our witness because You are the God who is with us. And we choose to remember that You’ve not forsaken us, You’ve not forgotten us, You’ve not abandoned us, that You’re working on making us more like You, King Jesus.” — Derwin L. Gray

Related: What’s the Meaning of Lent?

4. “Lord, I pray that over the next forty days, that we would stand together in solidarity, that we would put those things that come against us down… that we would overcome those things, that we would overcome the bondages of addictions in our life, that we would overcome the bondage of a routine, that we would overcome the bondage of things that we thought we owned but they actually own us. Lord, I pray that You would help us to take a big step forward over those things. And help us to know when it’s hard, when it hurts, when it’s painful, that that’s confirmation that we are stepping towards freedom in Jesus Christ.” — Joel Schmidgall

5. “Lord, we offer to You ourselves, our families. Many of our families tried to do as best as they possibly could, and yet we have still been shaped and formed in ways inconsistent with what You desire for us. Lord, grant us greater awareness. Grant us, by the power of the Holy Spirit, that we can move forward in a way that’s different than the ways that we have, and what we have, inherited. Lord, teach us how to go back so that we can go forward—not to stay in the past, but to allow the grace of God to inform our future.” — Rich Villodas

6. “We thank You that it’s possible now for us to have our hearts melted by the knowledge of Your love for us, to have our hearts maintained and changed by the remembrance of Your grace for us, and, most of all, to be completely changed by the knowledge of what Your Son has not just done for us, but what Your Son is for us.” — Tim Keller

7. “O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from thy ways, and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of thy Word, Jesus Christ thy Son; who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.” — “Second Sunday in Lent,” Book of Common Prayer

8. “Lord, we need discernment in these days. We need discernment. We are living in a time where our culture is so divided by false religions—and I want to be clear, that is what is happening—it’s not just ideological, it’s not just political, it’s false religion. And that is why everything feels so elevated is because we are talking about hope, we are talking about joy, we are talking about peace, and we live in a world where people are seeking them in other things besides You. And so, give us the conviction, give us the clarity of sight to be able to name that—not in judgment, but simply in wisdom, so that we do not succumb and that we can maintain our distinct witness in the world as the people of God.” — Sharon Hodde Miller

Related: 30 Things to Give Up for Lent

9. “Lord God, heavenly Father, You do not desire the death of a sinner, but rather that he should turn from his evil way and live: We pray, graciously turn from us those punishments which we have deserved by our sins, and grant us grace from now on to serve You in holiness and pureness of living; through Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.” — Martin Luther

10. “Father, thank You that You go before us and You prepare a way. You have plans and purposes beyond what we can imagine. And in that we take confidence and we take rest. God, on that we take our stand and believe that You are able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine. God, we are excited to see what You are going to do, not for us, but for You and for your glory. Let Your kingdom come and let Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus’ name, Amen.” — Mark Batterson

11. “Lord, we pray that You would give us courage. We pray that You would give us conviction. We pray, Lord, that You would give us hearts that grieve when we look at the idols without and the idols within.” — Russell Moore

12. “O my dearest Lord Jesus Christ, You know my poor soul and my great transgressions, and I cry out to You alone with an open heart. I am sorry that I do not have will or intentions as I should and I fall behind daily, for I am a poor, sick sinner. You know that I want to have good will and good intentions, but my foe strikes and leads me captive. Redeem me, a poor sinner, according to Your divine will. Deliver me from all evil and all afflictions. Strengthen and increase in me true Christian faith.” — Martin Luther

13. “Almighty God, who seest that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.” — “Third Sunday in Lent,” Book of Common Prayer

Related: 60 Easy Lent Recipes

14. “Thou Eternal God, out of whose absolute power and infinite intelligence the whole universe has come into being, we humbly confess that we have not loved Thee with our hearts, souls and minds, and we have not loved our neighbors as Christ loved us. We have all too often lived by our own selfish impulses rather than by the life of sacrificial love as revealed by Christ. We often give in order to receive. We love our friends and hate our enemies. We go the first mile but dare not travel the second. We forgive but dare not forget. And so as we look within ourselves, we are confronted with the appalling fact that the history of our lives is the history of an eternal revolt against You. But Thou, O God, have mercy upon us. Forgive us for what we could have been but failed to be. Give us the intelligence to know Your will. Give us the courage to do Your will. Give us the devotion to love Your will. In the name and spirit of Jesus, we pray. Amen.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.

15. “God, would you direct our hearts to exalt and exult and rejoice in who You are? Because You are so, so, so worthy of our praise.” — Gil Shelsby

16. “Father, in Your grace and Your goodness, You’ve redeemed us and called us by name. You’ve made us new. You have transferred us from the domain of darkness into the kingdom of the Son You love. You have turned us from idols to God. We’ve turned to God from idols. You’ve changed us. Father, but, yet, we are still drawn. And we confess that we’re still drawn to idols of this world. Guard us, and give us wisdom to guard ourselves from idols so that our loyalty and the only thing that might matter is that You might receive the glory and the praise and the honor that You’re due. In Jesus’ name, Amen.” — Ed Stetzer

17. “Lord, forgive us for having often a greater allegiance to our kingdom than we do to Yours; for our desire to remake You into something less than what You are; for the times when we panic when we don’t need to panic because You are not confused; for moments when we doubt Your goodness and Your grace. By grace, by that grace that was purchased on that cruel cross, may we worship You, Hosanna! Son of David, King of kings, Amen.” — Paul Tripp

18. “Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which giveth life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.” — “Fourth Sunday in Lent,” Book of Common Prayer

Related: 75 Lent Quotes and Sayings

19. “Father, let anyone who’s anxious about their future and their position know the peace of God that surpasses all understanding. I pray that they would rest in and trust in and rely on You. Father let everyone know that the plans You have for them are for good and not for evil, plans to prosper and not to harm them and that when You set them in place it is for a good purpose and that, Father, they would go a whole lot further as part of your body than anywhere they could ever go doing their own thing. So seal your Word in the life of your people, I pray. Amen.” — Christine Caine

20. “Our Father, we pray now that […] if we come to You and seek You, and not happiness, You will show us how we can turn away from the way of the world, from the counsel of the ungodly, from the seed of the mockers and the scornful, and delight in the law of the Lord, so that on it we can meditate day and night and be like a tree planted by waters. Keep our leaves green. In Your Son, in His name we pray, Amen.” — Tim Keller

21. “Father, I ask for anyone who is far from You, weighed down with guilt, shame, or even for those who are unaware of sin, would You reveal it to them? Not so that we would remain condemned, but so that we would trust in what You have done for us in Jesus, that we would trust in the gospel—the good news.” — Tim Chaddick

22. “We praise Your name, we bless Your name, we thank You that You are the God who makes things happen, whether it is a thing of the spirit or a thing of the body, we believe You for it. In Jesus’ name.” — Dick Foth

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23. “Lord, I pray that You would give us open hearts…to say yes to Your will.” — Rich Villodas

24. “O Almighty God, who alone canst order the unruly wills and affections of sinful men: Grant unto thy people that they may love the thing which thou commandest, and desire that which thou dost promise; that so, among the sundry and manifold changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.” — “Fifth Sunday in Lent,” Book of Common Prayer

25. “Father, give us what You want to give us—give us Yourself. We pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.” — Tim Keller

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