18 Lent Prayers

Lent prayers mark the season of Lent, remembering the time Jesus spent praying and fasting in the wilderness before beginning His ministry. From Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday, Lent is more than giving something up, it’s an opportunity for Christians to open their hearts to God in prayer and reflection.

We hope our Lenten prayer resources help you draw close to him.

Lent devotional

Discover our new Lent devotional guide. Each week offers a theme to reflect on, with daily Lent Bible verses, short prompts, and weekend ideas to deepen your walk with Jesus.

Lent devotional

These studies are an invitation to follow Jesus’ lead; to see, feel and move with compassion in your everyday life.

Lent prayers for 2026

This season, ask God to give you “the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16). These short Lenten prayers are here to guide you deeper into his heart, aligning your life with his purpose.

Use these prayers of intercession to deepen your faith and experience the joy of walking closely with Jesus.

A prayer for Ash Wednesday

Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, a day when Christians around the world remember that we need to repent of our sins, and accept salvation through Christ.

In many churches, the 40 days of Lent prayer begins when this is symbolised with a cross marked on the forehead in ash.

O God,

You created me to enjoy a relationship with you. At the beginning of Lent, I admit that I'm sinful, and often fall away.

You're the God of holiness, love, and justice. In your mercy, you draw near to me. Thank you that you planned a way that I might return to you through Jesus.

Draw me into a deeper understanding of your plan for salvation this Lenten Season, so that I would grow my trust in you.

Amen.

A prayer for the start of Lent

Heavenly Father,

Jesus withdrew from his friends and followers, to spend time with you. And in Psalm 27:14 we're encouraged to 'wait for the Lord, be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.'

Help me take time away from life’s busyness to refocus my heart and spirit as I wait for you. I choose to recentre my life on your Word, your teachings and to take heart in all your promises.

Holy Spirit, lead and guide me. Fill me with the hope that is only found in Christ. Thank you that I'm known and loved by you.

Amen.

Lent prayers for change

Lent prayers for intercession invite us to pray for the needs of the world and ask that God’s kingdom will come on earth.

Heavenly Father,

Thank you that in every circumstance you draw me near.

When I pray for things to change, I remember that you promise righteousness and justice will come. When I feel heartbroken about those living in fear and conflict, I remember that you are the Prince of Peace.

When I’m overwhelmed with grief, I remember how Jesus wept when his friend Lazarus died. When I’m afraid, I remember that you broke the chains of death.

May I live every day with the true hope that is found in Christ.

Amen.

Lent prayers about caring for others

Lord Jesus Christ,

Help me reach out to others, seeing their needs as you see them and caring for them with your compassion.

May I love as you love: extravagantly and indiscriminately. May I care as you do: without counting the cost.

Lead me deeper into your generous, sacrificial heart so that by following your lead, I will move with compassion, especially towards those suffering in places and situations I may never fully understand.

Amen.

Lent prayer about caring for others

Lent prayers about waiting

This prayer is based on Tim Keller’s advice that Christians are to wait with patience, perspective, obedience, God-centricity, and joy, based on Habakkuk 2:1-4.

In our daily times of prayer and devotion, we move into alignment with the ways of God, and the needs of the world. Today, let's remember Habakkuk’s encouragement that ‘the righteous person will live by his faithfulness.’ ¹

Father God,

In this time of Lent, I wait for you.

I believe that, just as I read in your Word, you are dynamically engaged in this world; you care about every aspect of it.

So, I pray ‘Lord, come’. I place you at the centre of my life today. I quieten my heart to wait in obedience. I surrender my life, my hopes, and my dreams before your holy throne.

I choose to wait with joy, because you’re my unchanging source of life and hope. Let your kingdom come.

Amen.

A prayer for the impossible

This prayer for Lent is inspired by the words of the Dutch Christian, Corrie ten Boom, whose family helped many Jewish people escape from the Nazis during World War II by hiding them in their home. After being caught and arrested, she was sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp where she found and shared hope in God. She later recounted her experiences in the book The Hiding Place.

God Almighty,

I thank you that in prayer I leave a world of not being able to do something, and enter your realm, where everything is possible.

Nothing is beyond your power or your reach. Nothing is too great for your Almighty power, and nothing too small for your love.

I thank you for being God of the impossible.

Amen. ²

Prayer for the impossible

A prayer for strength and protection

This Lent prayer comes from Alfred the Great in the 9th Century. Alfred the Great fought the Vikings and saw their leader converted to Christianity.

He also championed education, and ruled that primary education in Britain could be taught in English rather than Latin. This greatly improved literacy and the opportunities of children.

O God, Lord God Almighty, shaper and ruler of all creatures,

we pray for your great mercy: guide us towards you, for we cannot find our own way.

And guide us to your will, to the need of our soul, for we cannot do it ourselves. And make our mind steadfast in your will and aware of our soul’s need. 

Strengthen us against temptation, remove from us all unrighteousness, and shield us against our foes. 

Teach us to do your will, and to love you above all else. For you are our maker and our redeemer, our help, our comfort, our trust, our hope. To you be praise and glory, now and forever.

Amen. ³

Lent prayer for strength and protection

A prayer to know God’s grace this Lenten season

This Lent prayer is shared by the Methodists, and invites us to recommit ourselves to God’s work here on Earth.

God of mercy and love,

let us serve you in our world. 

We pray for desert people, 

who live in a dry, parched land 

who lack water 

who travel constantly 

so that they might live. 

Give them living water. 

Let the deserts bloom into flower. 

We pray that those who work on climate change 

may find solutions so that the erosion of soil may be halted or reversed. 

We pray that water and other vital supplies might not be used as a weapon of war in countries where resources are scarce.

Amen. ⁴

A prayer for the true fast

Isaiah 58:6–7 teaches that God desires a “true fast” from his people. We're called not only to abstain from something, but to worship God by joining in his redemptive work of bringing justice, mercy and righteousness into the world.

The good news is that God himself equips and empowers us for this calling through his Spirit.

Father of all,

I long to bring you the praise you deserve. In this Lenten Season, shape my heart by the truth of Isaiah 58. Teach me what a true fast means, and help me to walk in your compassion — to loosen the chains of injustice, to lift up the oppressed, and to share generously with those in need.

Forgive me for the times I’ve forgotten your call and settled for outward religion instead of a living faith. Renew in me a heart that worships you not only with words, but through mercy, justice, and kindness.

By your Spirit, anoint me to build your kingdom, to follow Christ faithfully, and to reflect your grace to the most vulnerable.

Amen.

A morning prayer for guidance

Our Father,

Today please lead me in all I say and do. Whenever I fall out of step from your will, draw me back. Lead me to repent and try again. Guide me with the light of your love now and always.

Amen.

Children pray together

Lent prayers for those who have no peace

As part of our Lent Prayers of intercession, we focus on those caught up in violence and despair, using this prayer from the Methodist church:

God of mercy and Father of all compassion,

We pray for those who have no peace –  

for those who are troubled and torn apart by lack of self esteem 

for those who torment and victimise the vulnerable. 

We pray for men and women affected by violence in the home 

and for those who live by violence. 

We pray for those who are trafficked 

and for those who organise and profit from selling other humans. 

May they learn of your love and come to newness of life 

even in the midst of despair.

Amen. ⁵

Prayer for Palm Sunday

As we approach Palm Sunday, the quiet devotion of Lent opens into a moment of joy. The streets of Jerusalem fill with the sound of celebration as Christ rides in on a donkey, fulfilling ancient prophecy. Crowds wave palm branches, their voices rising in hope and expectation — a vivid contrast to the stillness that has shaped our prayers during the early weeks of Lent.

For Christians, it’s a reminder that God often works in ways both seen and unseen, weaving together the humble and the triumphant. As Tim Keller writes, “Palm Sunday is an incredible parable of the lifelong mismatch between what we think we need and what God has provided.” ⁶

Lord,

I thank you that in your triumphant entry to Jerusalem, we see a glimpse of the divine King of the universe welcomed and treated with honour.

We pray for hearts all over the world to turn to you, and for a renewed spiritual hunger that sees many come to welcome you as their Saviour and Lord.

Amen.

A prayer for Holy Wednesday

As Lent draws to a close, our prayers turn toward the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Holy Wednesday is not explicitly mentioned in the Bible, but many Christians use this day to reflect on Judas’ betrayal and the events leading to the Last Supper. In these Lent prayers, we invite you to pray for places where the light of Christ is most needed.

God Almighty,

when shadows fall, help us remember the hope we have in Christ.

You are the One who brings light out of darkness, and we lift before you the places and people who long for your healing and salvation.

Teach us to trust you when we only “know in part” and to follow Jesus with steady hearts, even when we do not understand the whole story.

Shine your light on the hardest corners of our world today.

Amen.

A prayer for Maundy Thursday

Maundy Thursday sees tension between the intimacy of the disciples’ community and the betrayal that Jesus faced. At the final supper, he washed the feet of those closest to him in an unparalleled act of service. Shortly afterwards, one of those disciples betrayed him, and set into motion the events of the crucifixion.

Lord Jesus Christ,

on this Maundy Thursday we remember your love, your humility, and your sacrifice for us. Thank you for becoming the sacrificial Lamb so that we might know eternal life. In the challenges we face, help us stay close to your heart.

Watch over every Compassion child and worker around the world, and guide us to make the most of the moments you give.

Amen.

A prayer for Good Friday

Compassion UK CEO Justin Dowds describes Good Friday as “the ultimate demonstration of the depth and richness of Christ’s love for us.”

It comes shortly after Jesus had called his disciples “to love each other as I have loved you” (John 13:34). With this in mind, we join in this Lenten Prayer, from the Sarum Primer (Salisbury Prayerbook) in 1538.

O blessed Jesus,

most mighty lion,

King immortal and most victorious,

remember the sorrow that you suffered

when all your powers of heart and body failed you utterly,

and when you bowed your head and said, “It is finished.”

Remembering your anguish and sorrow,

blessed Jesus, have mercy on me in my last hour.

Amen .⁷

A prayer for Holy Saturday

Lent officially finishes on Holy Saturday. It is a day that Pete Greig describes as ‘when heaven is silent,” ⁸ the day that comes in between the pain and loss of Christ’s death, and the miracle of Easter Sunday. Here is a prayer for Holy Saturday, inspired by Alan E. Lewis:

Lord God,

on this Easter Saturday we pray for a world that still feels caught between sorrow and hope. So many live with loneliness, oppression, or the sense that you’re far away.

Meet us in that waiting, and remind us that you are the same faithful God today as yesterday.

Thank you that Jesus broke the power of death. As we wait for his return, help us use every opportunity to share your hope and live out the gospel with courage and compassion.

Amen.

A prayer for Easter Sunday

We hope that your journey through Lent in prayer has drawn you closer to Jesus and shaped a deeper joy as we celebrate the miracles of Easter Sunday.

This prayer is inspired by a sermon preached by Charles Spurgeon on Easter Day, 1873, celebrating the new life found in Christ:

Heavenly Father,

today we join with the angels and all the spirits in heaven celebrating the news that Christ lives.

He lives, and he is willing to receive each of us. May we live every day with this glad news in our hearts, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

May we share it with others, that they may too be moved from despair to hope.

May we encourage each other and all those we meet with the hope that we find in Christ. 

Amen .

Lent prayers from children

During Lent, children in the Compassion programme have the opportunity to learn about Jesus through special events and teaching. They read Bible verses and scripture, learn to pray and take part in special celebrations. Those who sponsor a child with Compassion often find the child they support sends them Easter prayers or encouraging Bible verses.

This prayer is inspired by Raya, from Indonesia. Raya carried a torch in her community’s annual Easter dawn relay. Together with her family and friends from the project, she helped bring light to her community as part of their Easter celebrations.

Hermin, the director at the project Raya attends says, “We want to teach the children that Jesus has risen, and He is no longer buried in the grave, He is resurrected and lives."

"Thank you, that Easter means Jesus has risen from the dead. Jesus wins over death. He died because he loves us. He is risen for us and for all those who believe in him. Amen." Raya, 9, from Indonesia.

This prayer is inspired by Steeb, aged 17, who attends his local church's Compassion project in El Salvador:

"Thank you Jesus, that your resurrection gives me a life of opportunity. The faith that I have in you makes my life easier because if you died for me, you can do anything for me. This gives me the certainty that when something bad happens, you will be by my side helping me. Amen." Steeb, 17, El Salvador

Steeb's prayer for Good Friday and Easter

Our final prayer for this Lenten journey is inspired by Jacqueline, age 6, who also lives in El Salvador.

"Lord, at Easter, we celebrate that Jesus accomplished his promise when he gave his life for us. Thank you that this means God does everything by love. Amen." Jacqueline, 6, El Salvador

Lenten Prayers from Children

References

1. Dr Timothy Keller’s sermon “Waiting and Living By Faith,” preached at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on May 10th, 2009 as part of the series “Living by Faith in Troubled Times” https://gospelinlife.com/sermon/waiting-and-living-by-faith/

2. Corrie ten Boom (2008). “I Stand at the Door and Knock: Meditations by the Author of The Hiding Place”, p.63, Zondervan

3. This modified prayer comes from Prayers of the Middle Ages, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1954. (New Ancient Collects, #264) https://acollectionofprayers.com/2018/11/14/for-strength-and-guidance/

4. https://www.methodist.org.uk/our-faith/worship/lent-and-easter/prayers-for-lent-and-easter/

5. https://www.methodist.org.uk/our-faith/worship/lent-and-easter/prayers-for-lent-and-easter/

6. Quote from a sermon Tim Keller preached on 18th March, 2012 entitled “Into Jerusalem.” 

7. Sarum Primer, 1538 https://www.oursanctuary.net/sarum.html

8. Pete Greig, God on Mute, (Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2020)

9. Alan E. Lewis, (1944-1994) quoted in God on Mute