O God Most High, El Elyon, Sovereign over time and eternity, Jehovah Rohi, Shepherd and Keeper of my soul, Holy and Undivided Trinity — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — I bow before You at the threshold of this Lenten pilgrimage.
You are the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning before beginnings and the End beyond endings. You call me into this sacred season not for spectacle, but for sanctification; not for outward display, but for inward transformation. Grant me grace to walk this desert faithfully.
Lord God, Uncreated Light who dwells in unapproachable glory, O Lord of the Wilderness, You who led Israel through the barren places and Christ into the solitude of testing, lead me now through the hidden terrains of my own heart. Strip away what is superficial. Silence what is noisy within me. Expose what resists Your rule. Do not remove the desert from me — but meet me within it. When the ground beneath me feels dry and unyielding, be my Living Water. When hunger sharpens and weakness surfaces, be my Bread of Heaven. When temptation whispers subtle compromise, be my Shield and exceeding great Reward.
O Christ, my Hiding Place, Eternal Word made Flesh, Crucified Wisdom and Risen Lord, Who fasted, suffered, died, and rose — Who sustains and sanctifies, hide me in Your wounded side. Let Your obedience steady my wavering will. Let Your forty days of fasting purify my intentions. Let Your victory over the tempter strengthen my frailty.
Holy Spirit, Breath of the Living God, Paraclete and Divine Fire, hover over the chaos within me. Brood over the unformed places of my spirit. Ignite in me a holy perseverance — not stubborn endurance, but steadfast fidelity rooted in love. Grant me the virtue of constancy. Let me not begin this season with zeal only to end it in distraction. Anchor my devotion in truth. Deepen my prayer beyond words. Let my fasting become longing for You. Let my almsgiving become participation in Your mercy.
God Almighty, Ancient of Days, O Jehovah Nissi, the Lord my Banner, when I grow weary, fight for me. When I stumble, lift me. When I doubt, remind me of Your covenant faithfulness. You who gave Daniel wisdom in exile, Joseph favour in affliction, and Paul songs in prison, grant me perseverance in obscurity. Let my faith not depend on visible outcomes, but on the invisible certainty of Your presence.
All-Seeing God, whose eyes behold both the sparrow and the secret thought, watch over me. Guard my mind from deception. Guard my heart from hardness. Guard my spirit from despair. Envelop me in Your love — Your steadfast, covenantal love that does not waver. When my resolve weakens, let Your grace be sufficient. When my strength fails, let Your power be perfected in weakness.
El Shaddai, the All-Sufficient One, Father of Glory, teach me the brevity of life and the weight of eternity. Remind me that this world passes away, but he who does Your will abides forever. Detach me gently from what fades. Attach me deeply to what endures. Let this Lent prepare me not merely for Easter celebration, but for resurrection living. May my labors be hidden yet holy. May my sacrifices be unseen yet fragrant before You. May my prayers rise like incense in Your courts.
Almighty God, Who appears in fire, the Refining Fire, refine me, but do not consume me. Prune me, O Vinedresser of souls, that I may bear fruit that lasts, and when this pilgrimage reaches its holy culmination, may I not emerge boasting of discipline achieved, but humbled by mercy received. Lead me safely through this life’s pilgrimage — through suffering and joy, through obscurity and illumination — and at the final crossing, when I pass through the valley of shadow, be my Light. Prepare me for that hour with holy fear tempered by deeper trust.
O King of Glory, Lord of life and Author of creation, let death not terrify me, for Christ has conquered the grave; let eternity not surprise me, for You have planted its longing within my heart; establish my steps in righteousness; complete in me what You have begun; keep me faithful unto the end – for You are my Victory, my Restoration, my Portion forever – as pray in the name of Jesus. Amen
