Rule of Prayer for Lent

Published by Roger Butner on

God has been gently, but clearly, speaking to me about my need to establish a “rule of life” – a daily structure of prayer, reading His Word, and meditation in Him.  As some have put it, I need to stop trying to live a holy life and start training to live a holy life.  As such, the Holy Spirit has led me to several prayers to guide my rule of prayer for the season of Lent this year as I seek to grow in the Way of Christ.  For those who may be interested, here they are:

Penitential Prayer of St. Ambrose of Milan

O Lord, who hast mercy upon all, take away from me my sins, and mercifully kindle in me the fire of thy Holy Spirit.  Take away from me the heart of stone, and give me a heart of flesh, a heart to love and adore Thee, a heart to delight in Thee, to follow and enjoy Thee, for Christ’s sake.  Amen

Prayer in the Way of St. Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.  Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy.  O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love.  For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.  Amen

Serenity Prayer of Reinhold Neibuhr

God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things which should be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.  Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time, accepting hardship as a pathway to peace, taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it, trusting that You will make all things right, if I surrender to Your will, so that I may be reasonably happy in this life, and supremely happy with You forever in the next.  Amen

Model Prayer of Jesus

Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.  May your Kingdom come soon.  May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.  Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.  And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.  For yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever.  Amen


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