Praying Scripture – 2/26/2020 – Ash Wednesday

¹ Out of the depths I cry to you, LORD;
² Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.
³ If you, LORD, kept a record of sins,
Lord, who could stand?
⁴ But with you there is forgiveness,
so that we can, with reverence, serve you.
⁵ I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits,
and in his word I put my hope.
⁶ I wait for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.
⁷ Israel, put your hope in the LORD,
for with the Lord is unfailing love
and with him is full redemption.
⁸ He himself will redeem Israel
from all their sins.

Psalm 130

Our Merciful Father,
As this Lenten season begins, I come into Your presence with a cry for mercy. I know that with You there is forgiveness. I know that You do not keep a record of wrongs. You have removed my sins as far as the east is from the west. But I also know that You call your people to confession. And so today, I join Your people across time and space and pray:

Most merciful God, I confess that I have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what I have done, and by what I have left undone.
I have not loved you with my whole heart; I have not loved my neighbors as myself. I am truly sorry and I humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on me and forgive me; that I may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name.

I thank You that You hear my voice. I thank You that you listen to my cries for mercy and forgiveness. And now, Lord, I wait. I wait for the work of Your Spirit in my life. Help me to see myself as You see me and to live in Your world out of that understanding rather than my own. Thank You that with You there is unfailing love. Thank You that with You is full redemption and forgiveness. In Your precious Son’s name I seek You, wait for You, and pray. Amen.

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