A Lenten Prayer
The Book of Psalms is often called “God's Prayer Book.” Indeed, because they are inspired Scripture, the psalms teach us to pray to God in the very words of God.
Today's psalm helps us adopt the proper attitude for the Lenten season, an attitude of openness, prayerfulness, desire for God, repentance, and humility.
Throughout Lent, try to pray this psalm everyday, making it your own heartfelt song of love to God, meditating carefully on its message, and using it as inspiration for further prayer.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me Your paths,
Guide me in Your truth and teach me,
for You are God my savior.
Lord, teach me this Lent. Speak to me through the Scriptures, the liturgy, the Church's teachings, and the writings of the saints. Touch my heart as I pray and meditate. Help me to find You in the events of my life and to understand what You are telling me through them. Open my mind and my heart to listen to the people around me, for they, too, often carry messages from You. I want to live in the truth, Lord, not in lies. Expose any lies that I'm living. Help me, Lord, to stay on the right path, the path that leads straight to You, and if I stray, lead me back to safety. I reach out to You as my Lord and Savior. Help me follow Your ways, not my own.
Remember that Your compassion, O LORD,
and Your love are from of old.
In Your kindness remember me,
because of Your goodness, O LORD.
Lord, I have sinned; in Your love, heal me. Do not abandon me in my misery and weakness, but look on me with love, draw me close to You, give me a repentant heart, and forgive me. Lord, You are merciful, kind, gentle, compassionate, and all good. I praise You for Who You are. Help me to become like You as You heal me and lift me up to You.
Good and upright is the LORD,
thus He shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
and He teaches the humble His way.
Make me humble, Lord. Squash my pride and self-reliance, for I can do nothing on my own. All that I have and all that I am comes from You. You guide those who are humble, those with open hearts, those who know that they must rely on You for everything good. Please give me the grace to open my heart to You, to follow the way You have chosen for me, and to grow in love, compassion, and understanding as I seek to imitate You. Amen.
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