Day One
As you led Jesus into the wilderness, O God,
Lead us today into the humble practice of desiring You.
Remove us from our selfish appetites and cluttered worlds
to find the peace and joy of knowing You and your provision.
In our fasting, refill us.
In our prayers, respeak to us.
In our seeking, reclaim us.
To your glory be all our devotions. Amen.
Day Two
Let me come to rest in you, O God.
Through the clamor,
in the small tasks,
despite my doubts,
together with others,
where you place me,
let me come to rest in you, O Lord.
Day Three
Let me fast from myself,
so I will be filled with You.
Become my only desire,
and renew my hope in Your mercy.
Lead me into the desert that You choose,
and from the deserts that I create.
Your presence is my oasis.
Day Four
Praise God in highest heaven.
God of stillness and of stirring
God of seeking and of finding
God of comfort and of calling
God of plenty and of fasting
God of living and of dying
One God, who is All in all, be praised in me today.
Day Five
Will I believe only if you make me happy?
Come, God of mystery,
Teach me what I know not.
Make me love what I hate,
find joy even in sorrow,
And hope in the darkness.
Free me from myself.
Day Six
God, help me be a blessing today.
May my gift be kindness,
my message peace,
my presence Yours,
and my attitude love,
May your mission of renewal be mine today.
Day Seven
O God,
Father of mercies and light,
From what would you take me today?
Into what blessing would you bring me?
To enrich my life in the way of Jesus,
If I am willing and humble,
Yours.
Day Eight
Jesus,
As you depended on your Father,
Believed his words to you were life itself,
Rejected the temptations of the flesh,
And learned obedience through your sufferings,
Let me follow no other voices,
Teach me to trust the words of my Father,
Strengthen me when I am tempted,
And find reward in my meager sufferings.
Day Nine
Lord,
Today I pray for your peace to come into my heart;
for calmness in the face of criticism,
for gentleness in dealing with others,
for delight in your presence,
for reconciliation with my enemies,
and for assurance of your salvation.
May I be a maker of peace.
Day Ten
Father,
Put simple prayers on my lips,
of love and openness and submission.
Let wordless prayers of adoration
be more my practice than elaboration.
Thank you for being here.
Now.
Day Eleven
God, show yourself and remove my mistaken image of You.
Keep me from despair when You are not as I imagine,
Meet my doubt with renewed faith,
and let me hope in You.
Let me trust in You and not who I think You are.
Day Twelve Grant your grace, Lord, for all my inadequacies.
When I don't know, be known to me.
If I stray from your love, embrace me.
In my temptations, deliver me.
Should I sin, forgive and cleanse.
In your mercy hold me forever close to You.
Day Thirteen
O Loving Father,
As you provided for Jesus in the wilderness
Teach me to be satisfied with what you give.
Lead me to be content not only with what I have,
but with who I am,
with my past,
with receiving mercy rather than being perfect.
May this become in me a lasting peace and joy,
in Jesus, Amen.
Day Fourteen
Give me love today, Lord.
Assure me that I am loved by You.
Fill me with love for You.
Humble me to love all others.
Lead me to love your creation.
Let me love You in me,
and so love myself truly.
Day Fifteen
Lord,
Too much to do.
Forgive me for doing rather than caring.
Let me have no debt today but to love others.
May I truly care in all that I attempt,
and through loving may I do all that matters.
Redeem today in the light of the life you give.
Day Sixteen
God,
When I am disappointed and believe you've failed me,
Hear my frustration and hurt.
Remind me of love I've forgotten,
of blessings greater than what I lack,
and renew my soul in your peace and joy.
Amen.
Day Seventeen
O Jesus, be my Guide.
Lead me to persevere as you did,
and teach me the lessons of the desert.
When I think I am in want,
show me what to truly desire.
If I start to feel alone,
reveal God to me again.
In my temptations rebuild my faith in you.
Day Eighteen
Patience, God, patience.
With myself first,
with others for your sake,
as I let You be Lord and accept my limits.
May my patience be the fruit of love and not sloth.
Day Nineteen
Almost half way.
Jesus, you didn't know how long.
God, be my strength when it seems forever,
and when I want the end now.
As life happens today help me to face it with You,
and renew your Spirit's leading.
Day Twenty
Lord, let my prayers today
be for others and not myself.
For the distressed, give peace. Comfort the suffering,
and find those who are lost.
Protect the oppressed,
and give justice to the mistreated.
May I be in all ways an agent of your grace.
Day Twenty-One
If we can learn to praise you in the desert,
in the darkness when we can barely see,
Then we will ever be close to you.
Teach me to love you when it's hardest,
in the driest, most barren moments,
if my thoughts and feelings are distant,
and I will walk with you.
Day Twenty-Two
May I be more thoroughly Yours today,
in my resting remembering You,
if I work as unto You,
when I speak honoring You,
among all others as You would be,
loving, gentle, kind . . . a blessing.
Day Twenty-Three
God help me to trust you today,
without being complacent.
Make my faith active in words and actions,
doing good works and loving others.
May I enter and contribute to your kingdom
of justice, equality, and brotherhood.
May your kingdom come today.
Day Twenty-Four
Give me a sweet hope today,
more assuring than all else.
May your holy presence truly be
all that I need to rest secure.
Make my hope in Christ my
strength to persevere in trials.
Day Twenty-Five
Give me a willing and submissive heart
toward whatever you choose for me:
accepting your correction,
following your direction,
satisfied with your provision.
Give me life as you will it
rather than as I want it.
Day Twenty-Six
Grace for all my sins,
Love that has no end.
Strength to take me beyond myself,
A divine "yes" that invites me in.
One who walked before me,
And accompanies me even now.
Uncertainty resolved in "I Am",
Let me "be" in your "Am".
Day Twenty-Seven
Let me think first of others:
empathize with suffering,
grieve in loss,
love all that is good,
respect what is Yours,
and find fellowship in life.
Day Twenty-Eight
If not bread, what would I make the rocks?
Show me my temptations for what they are.
Lord, refine my vision of You and myself.
Give me honest confession and true dependence.
Let me live in your love and grace with delight.
Day Twenty-Nine
Jesus,
Into your resolve through fasting,
finding your faith by my submission,
learning your patience with my waiting,
strengthened by sharing your experience,
closer to you today help me to be.
Amen.
Day Thirty
For all hurting,
bless and comfort.
Give me patience and kindness,
and empathy with their suffering.
Help me to not be consumed with my own troubles,
but genuinely love and minister to all in distress.
Day Thirty-One
May I have no greater purpose today
than to love you, God,
and in loving you to love all others.
May my desert not be one of self-love
or of separation from you.
Day Thirty-Two
God, am I too anxious for this to end?
How would you reshape me beyond these 40 days?
Lead me into a new life,
of selflessness,
of dependence,
of simplicity,
of empathy,
of patience,
and of humility formed in fasting and prayer.
Day Thirty-Three
God,
May I forget what I think,
and trust what you say.
Make your words my daily food,
so I will find peace in your persistent love.
Move me to love today,
all others in you.
Amen.
Day Thirty-Four Help me to receive the gift of this day,
to accept it with faith,
to enjoy your goodness,
to face any difficulty,
and depend on you completely,
To the praise of your glory.
Day Thirty-Five
Faithful Father,
If I feel overwhelmed,
unsure of the way forward,
and fearful of the future . . .
Remind me that I am not alone,
and that I live in the care of your love.
Amen.
Day Thirty-Six
Create in me a reverence for all things holy,
honor for everything honorable,
submissive to all good,
and seeing You, God, daily.
Keep me from sinful thoughts and actions,
through desiring You more than all else.
Day Thirty-Seven
Redefine our lives in your grace,
shaping our hearts to yours,
leading us to where we've never been.
using the desert for your work.
May we welcome your life
even as it costs us our own.
Day Thirty-Eight
From within my heart
bring praises to your name.
In joy or difficulty today
let me be close to you.
The gift of life right now
is your grace to me.
May holy living be my
love and thanks to you.
Day Thirty-NineLord, this day of your death,
may I not forget you.
Fill my day with remembrance of you,
draw me into the love and mercy of your cross,
give me holy awe for the mysteries of salvation,
and may my lenten sacrifice be myself,
offered to you, Keeper of my soul.
Day Forty
O God,
Let this be a beginning of what you are doing.
Your holy Son has shown me how to live.
You have been faithful through these days.
Let me not leave this time unchanged,
but with new sight for your world,
a new sense of your presence,
new love for all people,
and renewed union with You.
Amen.
