The Season of Lent
What is Lent?
Lent is a 40-day season (excluding Sundays) from Ash Wednesday to Easter. Rooted in Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness, it invites us into prayer, fasting, repentance, and generosity. Marked by ashes, we remember our humility and mortality and lean into spiritual renewal and honest self-examination. As we move toward the cross, we face both our brokenness and our hope. We repent, name our weariness, and trust that the way of the cross leads to resurrection. God is forming us—Up toward Him, In toward one another, and Out toward the world.
This year, we’ll engage the Psalms together, allowing their honesty and longing to guide us, and we’ll use the weekly scripture reading guide below, which utilizes the practice of Lectio Divina. We also have a playlist of Psalms songs for you to save + additional recommended reading: Open and Unafraid by W. David O. Taylor - the book that has shaped our Lent sermon series on the Psalms.
We pray that these resources will help you grow closer to God as we journey toward Easter together.
Lectio Divina
Each week, you’re invited to use Lectio Divina as a way to encounter God through the reading of His Word. We’ve assigned one Psalm per week with a Lectio Divina guide as a place to start.
Preparation
Take a moment to become present. Close your eyes, relax, and notice God’s presence with you. Offer a simple prayer of openness, such as, “Come, Lord Jesus,” or “Speak, Lord.” Then read the passage four times. With each reading, ask a new question that draws you deeper. After each time, sit briefly in silence.
Read
Listen for the word or phrase that feels meant for you. Read slowly, pausing between phrases. You may read silently or aloud, letting the words settle in your heart.
Notice what stands out. Sit in silence and gently repeat that word or phrase, savoring it without analyzing or judging.
Reflect
How is my life touched by this word? Read the passage again and ask, “What in my life needs to hear this right now?” Sit quietly and notice what surfaces. If it is a story, imagine yourself in the scene. What do you see or hear? How does it connect with your own life?
Respond
What is my response to God? Read the passage one final time, listening for your deepest and most honest response. In the silence that follows, let your prayer rise naturally from your heart. Speak to God about what the text has stirred in you, whether that is gratitude, sorrow, conviction, repentance, desire, or hope.
Be honest. This is a conversation with a God who already knows you fully and loves you completely. Pay attention to any gentle nudge toward action or change. You may find it helpful to write your prayer or journal what you sense God is saying.
Rest
Rest in God’s presence. After you have expressed your response, allow yourself to simply be with God. You do not need to strive or explain anything further. Sit quietly and receive His love.
This is a posture of trust and surrender, like a child leaning safely against a parent. Let your soul grow still before the Good Shepherd, confident that He holds you.
Live
Carry the Word with you. As you step back into your day, consider how you might live out what you have heard. Resolve to carry this word into your conversations, your work, and your relationships.
Continue listening for God’s voice throughout the day. You may want to choose a simple word, image, or symbol to remind you of what He is shaping in you. Over time, this word will begin to take root, forming you more deeply into the likeness of Christ.
Please, God, no more yelling,
no more trips to the woodshed.
Treat me nice for a change;
I’m so starved for affection.
Can’t you see I’m black-and-blue,
beaten up badly in bones and soul?
God, how long will it take
for you to let up?
Break in, God, and break up this fight;
if you love me at all, get me out of here.
I’m no good to you dead, am I?
I can’t sing in your choir if I’m buried in some tomb!
I’m tired of all this—so tired. My bed
has been floating forty days and nights
On the flood of my tears.
My mattress is soaked, soggy with tears.
The sockets of my eyes are black holes;
nearly blind, I squint and grope.
Get out of here, you Devil’s crew:
at last God has heard my sobs.
My requests have all been granted,
my prayers are answered.
Cowards, my enemies disappear.
Disgraced, they turn tail and run.
The Message Translation
Consider reading other translations throughout the week to see how the different word choice strikes you as you read.
Preparation
- As you come into this time, where do you feel tired?
- Is there a place in your life where you feel overwhelmed?
- Take a slow breath. Can you trust that God is not intimidated by your emotions?
- Pray simply: “God, I’m here. Meet me in what’s real.”
Read
- What phrase stands out to you? “How long?” “I’m so tired.” “At last God has heard.”
- Does any image resonate with your current season, such as tears, weariness, or longing for relief?
- What feels honest? What feels uncomfortable?
- Notice what lingers without trying to fix it.
Reflect
- Where in your life are you asking, “How long, God?”
- Is there a struggle that feels unrelenting or a prayer that seems unanswered?
- Have you allowed yourself to name your struggle with God?
- What would it look like to believe that God hears you?
Respond
- What do you need to say honestly to God right now?
- Is there anger, sorrow, or fear you have been holding back?
- Do you need to ask for help, healing, protection, or simply endurance?
- What step of trust God may be inviting you to take?
- Let your prayer be as raw as this Psalm.
Rest
- Can you sit quietly with the truth that “God has heard my sobs”?
- What shifts in you when you imagine that God is attentive to your pain?
- How would it feel to release the outcome and rest in His care?
- Allow yourself to be held, even if nothing changes yet.
Live
- How might you carry honest prayer into your week?
- Is there someone around you who is also quietly asking, “How long?”
- What would it look like to extend compassion the way you hope to receive it?
- What simple word from this Psalm will you carry with you today?
- Move forward remembering this: lament and trust can live in the same prayer.
Count yourself lucky, how happy you must be—
you get a fresh start, your slate’s wiped clean.
Count yourself lucky — God holds nothing against you
and you’re holding nothing back from him.
When I kept it all inside, my bones turned to powder,
my words became daylong groans.
The pressure never let up; all the juices of my life dried up.
Then I let it all out;
I said, “I’ll come clean about my failures to God.”
Suddenly the pressure was gone—
my guilt dissolved, my sin disappeared.
These things add up. Every one of us needs to pray;
when all hell breaks loose and the dam bursts
we’ll be on high ground, untouched.
God’s my island hideaway, keeps danger far from the shore,
throws garlands of hosannas around my neck.
Let me give you some good advice;
I’m looking you in the eye and giving it to you straight:
“Don’t be ornery like a horse or mule
that needs bit and bridle to stay on track.”
God-defiers are always in trouble;
God-affirmers find themselves loved
every time they turn around. Celebrate God.
Sing together—everyone!
All you honest hearts, raise the roof!
The Message Translation
Consider reading other translations throughout the week to see how the different word choice strikes you as you read.
Preparation
- As you begin, is there anything you’ve been carrying quietly that feels heavy?
- Where do you feel pressure, tension, or dryness in your life right now?
- Pray simply: “God, help me be honest with You.”
Read
- What phrase stands out to you? “Fresh start.” “Slate wiped clean.” “I kept it all inside.”
- Do you notice yourself drawn more to the weight of hiding or the relief of coming clean?
- What image lingers: dried-up bones, bursting dams, island hideaway, celebration?
- Sit with the word or phrase that feels meant for you.
Reflect
- Is there something you’ve been holding in that needs to be brought into the light?
- What has unconfessed sin or hidden struggle been doing to your soul?
- What would it look like to believe that confession leads to freedom, not shame?
Respond
- Is there a confession you need to make plainly and honestly?
- Do you need to receive God’s forgiveness instead of continuing to punish yourself?
- Where might God be inviting you to soften your heart instead of resisting Him?
Rest
- Can you sit quietly with the truth that your guilt has been lifted?
- What does it feel like to imagine your slate wiped clean?
- Can you rest in being fully known and fully forgiven?
Live
- What step of integrity or honesty is God inviting you to take?
- Is there someone you need to reconcile with or speak truth to?
- How might your life reflect the joy of someone who has been forgiven?
- Move into your day remembering this: confession is not the end of the story. Freedom and joy are.
O Lord, don’t rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your rage!
Your arrows have struck deep,
and your blows are crushing me.
Because of your anger, my whole body is sick;
my health is broken because of my sins.
My guilt overwhelms me; it is a burden too heavy to bear.
My wounds fester and stink because of my foolish sins.
I am bent over and racked with pain.
All day long I walk around filled with grief.
A raging fever burns within me, and my health is broken.
I am exhausted and completely crushed.
My groans come from an anguished heart.
You know what I long for, Lord; you hear my every sigh.
My heart beats wildly, my strength fails,
and I am going blind.
My loved ones and friends stay away, fearing my disease.
Even my own family stands at a distance.
Meanwhile, my enemies lay traps to kill me.
Those who wish me harm make plans to ruin me.
All day long they plan their treachery.
But I am deaf to all their threats.
I am silent before them as one who cannot speak.
I choose to hear nothing, and I make no reply.
For I am waiting for you, O Lord.
You must answer for me, O Lord my God.
I prayed, “Don’t let my enemies gloat over me
or rejoice at my downfall.”
I am on the verge of collapse,
facing constant pain.
But I confess my sins;
I am deeply sorry for what I have done.
I have many aggressive enemies;
they hate me without reason.
They repay me evil for good
and oppose me for pursuing good.
Do not abandon me, O Lord.
Do not stand at a distance, my God.
Come quickly to help me,
O Lord my savior.
The New Living Translation
Consider reading other translations throughout the week to see how the different word choice strikes you as you read.
Preparation
- As you begin, where do you feel weighed down or overwhelmed?
- Is there guilt, regret, or exhaustion you have been carrying quietly?
- Pray simply: “Lord, do not stand at a distance. Meet me here.”
Read
- What phrase stands out to you? “My guilt overwhelms me.” “I am waiting for you.” “Come quickly to help me.”
- Are you drawn more to the pain described or to the quiet trust at the end?
- What image lingers: heavy burden, silence before enemies, waiting on the Lord?
- Sit with the word or phrase that feels personal.
Reflect
- Where do you feel the consequences of sin, whether your own or someone else’s?
- Is there a place where you feel alone or misunderstood?
- What does it look like for you to wait on God instead of defending yourself or fixing everything?
Respond
- Is there confession you need to make plainly and honestly?
- Do you need to ask God for help rather than trying to carry the burden alone?
- What would it look like to entrust your situation to Him and say, “You must answer for me”?
- Speak openly. God can handle your grief, regret, and desperation.
Rest
- Can you sit with the simple prayer, “Do not abandon me”?
- What shifts when you remember that God sees your sighs and knows your longing?
- Can you release the need to control the outcome and rest in His nearness?
Live
- Is there a step of humility or reconciliation God is inviting you to take?
- How might waiting on the Lord change the way you respond to conflict?
- What simple phrase from this Psalm will you carry with you today?
Be gracious to me, God, according to your faithful love; according to your abundant compassion, blot out my rebellion. Completely wash away my guilt and cleanse me from my sin. For I am conscious of my rebellion, and my sin is always before me. Against you alone I have sinned and done this evil in your sight. So you are right when you pass sentence; you are blameless when you judge. Indeed, I was guilty when I was born; I was sinful when my mother conceived me.
Surely you desire integrity in the inner self, and you teach me wisdom deep within. Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Turn your face away from my sins and blot out all my guilt.
God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore the joy of your salvation to me, and sustain me by giving me a willing spirit.
Then I will teach the rebellious your ways, and sinners will return to you. Save me from the guilt of bloodshed, God— God of my salvation— and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. You do not want a sacrifice, or I would give it; you are not pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. You will not despise a broken and humbled heart, God. In your good pleasure, cause Zion to prosper; build the walls of Jerusalem. Then you will delight in righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.
The Christian Standard Bible Translation
Consider reading other translations throughout the week to see how the different word choice strikes you as you read.
Preparation
- As you begin, where do you feel aware of your own need for mercy?
- Is there anything in you that feels hidden, heavy, or unresolved?
- Pray simply: “God, be gracious to me. I need Your faithful love.”
Read
- What phrase stands out to you? “Wash me.” “Create in me a clean heart.” “Restore the joy.”
- Are you drawn more to the confession or to the promise of renewal?
- What image lingers: cleansing, a broken heart, joy returning?
- Sit quietly with the word or phrase that feels personal.
Reflect
- Where do you need cleansing, not just behavior change but heart change?
- Is there an area where you’ve been managing appearances instead of seeking integrity within?
- What would it look like for God to renew a steadfast spirit in you right now?
Respond
- Is there something specific you need to confess plainly?
- Do you need to ask God to restore joy where guilt or shame has taken root?
- Are you willing to invite God to reshape your heart, not just your circumstances?
- Speak honestly. A broken and humbled heart is welcomed by God.
Rest
- Can you sit with the truth that God’s mercy is abundant?
- What does it feel like to imagine being fully cleansed and not cast away?
- Can you receive His presence without trying to earn it?
Live
- What step of repentance or reconciliation might God be inviting you to take?
- How could restored joy overflow into praise or encouragement for someone else?
- What would it look like to live today with a clean heart and a willing spirit?
- Move forward remembering this: repentance is not humiliation. It is the doorway to renewal and joy.
God, listen! Listen to my prayer, listen to the pain in my cries. Don’t turn your back on me just when I need you so desperately. Pay attention! This is a cry for help! And hurry—this can’t wait! I’m wasting away to nothing, I’m burning up with fever.
I’m a ghost of my former self, half-consumed already by terminal illness. My jaws ache from gritting my teeth; I’m nothing but skin and bones. I’m like a buzzard in the desert, a crow perched on the rubble. Insomniac, I twitter away, mournful as a sparrow in the gutter.
All day long my enemies taunt me, while others just curse. They bring in meals—casseroles of ashes!
I draw drink from a barrel of my tears. And all because of your furious anger; you swept me up and threw me out.
There’s nothing left of me— a withered weed, swept clean from the path. Yet you, God, are sovereign still, always and ever sovereign. You’ll get up from your throne and help Zion— it’s time for compassionate help. Oh, how your servants love this city’s rubble and weep with compassion over its dust! The godless nations will sit up and take notice —see your glory, worship your name— When God rebuilds Zion, when he shows up in all his glory,
When he attends to the prayer of the wretched. He won’t dismiss their prayer. Write this down for the next generation so people not yet born will praise God: “God looked out from his high holy place; from heaven he surveyed the earth. He listened to the groans of the doomed, he opened the doors of their death cells.”
Write it so the story can be told in Zion, so God’s praise will be sung in Jerusalem’s streets And wherever people gather together along with their rulers to worship him. God sovereignly brought me to my knees, he cut me down in my prime. “Oh, don’t,” I prayed, “please don’t let me die. You have more years than you know what to do with! You laid earth’s foundations a long time ago, and handcrafted the very heavens; You’ll still be around when they’re long gone, threadbare and discarded like an old suit of clothes. You’ll throw them away like a worn-out coat, but year after year you’re as good as new. Your servants’ children will have a good place to live and their children will be at home with you.
The Message Translation
Consider reading other translations throughout the week to see how the different word choice strikes you as you read.
Preparation
- As you begin, where do you feel stretched thin or tired?
- Is there a prayer you’ve been repeating because the urgency feels real?
- Pray simply: “God, listen. I need You.”
Read
- What phrase stands out to you? “Listen to my cries.” “Yet you, God, are sovereign.” “He won’t dismiss their prayer.”
- Are you drawn more to the despair at the beginning or the steady hope in the middle?
- What image lingers: ashes and tears, God rebuilding, future generations at home with Him?
- Sit with the word or phrase that feels personal.
Reflect
- Where do you feel like a “ghost of your former self” or worn down by circumstances?
- What would it look like to hold your pain and God’s sovereignty at the same time?
- How might remembering God’s faithfulness beyond your lifetime reshape your current struggle?
Respond
- What desperate or honest prayer do you need to voice without polishing it?
- Do you need to ask God to rebuild something that feels like rubble?
- Where are you being invited to trust that your story is part of something larger?
Rest
- Can you sit with the truth that God remains steady even when you feel fragile?
- What shifts when you remember that He laid the foundations of the earth and still listens to your cries?
- Can you rest in His unchanging nature while your circumstances feel uncertain?
Live
- How might you carry both honesty about your pain and confidence in God’s faithfulness?
- Is there someone in your life who needs hope for the next generation?
- What simple phrase from this Psalm will you return to when urgency rises again?
- Move forward remembering this: your pain is real, but it is not the whole story. God is still listening, still faithful.
Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord;
Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.
If you, Lord, kept a record of sins,
Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness,
so that we can, with reverence, serve you.
I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,
and in his word I put my hope.
I wait for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.
Israel, put your hope in the Lord,
for with the Lord is unfailing love
and with him is full redemption.
He himself will redeem Israel
from all their sins.
The New International Version Translation
Consider reading other translations throughout the week to see how the different word choice strikes you as you read.
Preparation
- As you begin, where do you feel “in the depths” right now?
- Is there a quiet cry for mercy you’ve been carrying?
- Pray simply: “Lord, hear my voice.”
Read
- What phrase stands out to you? “Out of the depths.” “With you there is forgiveness.” “I wait for the Lord.”
- Are you drawn more to the cry for mercy or the promise of redemption?
- What image lingers, such as watchmen waiting for morning?
- Sit with the word or phrase that feels personal.
Reflect
- Where do you need to receive forgiveness instead of rehearsing your failures?
- What are you waiting on God for right now?
- What would it look like to hope in His word even before circumstances change?
Respond
- Is there a specific confession you need to bring into the light?
- Do you need to ask for patience while you wait for “morning”?
- Are you willing to trust that with God there is full redemption?
- Speak honestly. Mercy is not earned, it is received.
Rest
- Can you sit quietly with the truth that God’s love is unfailing?
- What shifts when you imagine morning coming, even if it has not yet arrived?
- Can you rest in forgiveness instead of striving to prove yourself?
- Let your whole being wait in hope.
Live
- How might you live as someone who has been forgiven?
- Who around you may be waiting in the dark and need encouragement?
- What simple phrase from this Psalm will anchor you today?
- Move forward remembering this: from the depths to redemption, hope has the final word.
I lift you high in praise, my God, O my King! and I’ll bless your name into eternity. I’ll bless you every day, and keep it up from now to eternity.
God is magnificent; he can never be praised enough. There are no boundaries to his greatness. Generation after generation stands in awe of your work; each one tells stories of your mighty acts.
Your beauty and splendor have everyone talking; I compose songs on your wonders. Your marvelous doings are headline news; I could write a book full of the details of your greatness.
The fame of your goodness spreads across the country; your righteousness is on everyone’s lips. God is all mercy and grace—not quick to anger, is rich in love.
God is good to one and all; everything he does is soaked through with grace. Creation and creatures applaud you, God; your holy people bless you.
They talk about the glories of your rule, they exclaim over your splendor, Letting the world know of your power for good, the lavish splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is a kingdom eternal; you never get voted out of office. God always does what he says, and is gracious in everything he does.
God gives a hand to those down on their luck, gives a fresh start to those ready to quit. All eyes are on you, expectant; you give them their meals on time.
Generous to a fault, you lavish your favor on all creatures.
Everything God does is right— the trademark on all his works is love.
God’s there, listening for all who pray, for all who pray and mean it.
He does what’s best for those who fear him— hears them call out, and saves them.
God sticks by all who love him, but it’s all over for those who don’t.
My mouth is filled with God’s praise. Let everything living bless him,
bless his holy name from now to eternity!
The New International Version Translation
Consider reading other translations throughout the week to see how the different word choice strikes you as you read.
Preparation
- As Holy Week draws you toward the cross and the empty tomb, what has been stirring in your heart?
- Where have you felt the weight of sin, and where have you glimpsed grace?
- Pray simply: “Jesus, lift my eyes to see Your glory.”
Read
- What phrase stands out to you? “There are no boundaries to his greatness.” “Rich in love.” “The trademark on all his works is love.”
- How do these words sound in light of the cross?
- What image lingers—God giving a fresh start, hearing those who call, establishing an eternal kingdom?
- Sit with the word or phrase that feels personal.
Reflect
- How does Holy Week reveal both the greatness and the mercy of God?
- Where do you need to trust that God’s kingdom is steady, even when the world feels uncertain?
- How has Jesus’ obedience, suffering, and resurrection reshaped your story?
Respond
- What specific praise can you offer for what Christ has done this week?
- Is there gratitude rising in you as you consider the cross and the resurrection?
- How might you declare His goodness with your own words today?
Rest
- Can you sit quietly with the truth that God’s kingdom is eternal?
- What shifts when you remember that the cross was not the end of the story?
- Can you rest in the love that carried Jesus to the cross and out of the grave?
- Let yourself be anchored in resurrection hope.
Live
- How will you embody resurrection hope as you move toward Easter?
- Who in your life needs to hear that God is rich in love and gives fresh starts?
- What phrase from this Psalm will shape the way you worship this week?
- Move into Holy Week remembering this: the greatness we praise in Psalm 145 is the greatness revealed in Jesus—steadfast love, saving power, and a kingdom that will never end.
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