A Lenten Prayer

Subtitle: At a time of war

O Lord, it is Lent. Call us, compel us to repent…

I. Of our ways that are not Your ways. Of our thoughts that are not Your thoughts;

II. Of our misunderstanding Your Creation; turning, tarnishing Your gift of dominion into our grift of domination;

III. Of our testing and rejecting Your Sovereignty, rather trusting in the kings of the earth;

IV. Of our refusal to beat our swords into plowshares, our spears into pruning hooks; thus, our failure to honor that You, as Divine Judge, alone are the righteous Warrior

V. Of the unrighteousness of our warring madness; caring not for (rather making more) orphans and widows;

VI. Of our hatred in hiding from our own flesh, thus, our deceit in daring to declare our love for You and all You hath made.

Batter our hearts, three-person’d God: Recreate us. Redeem us. Refresh us.

Amen.

© 2022 PRA

References:

I. Isaiah 55.8

II. Genesis 1.28

III. 1 Samuel 8.4-22

IV. Isaiah 2.4; Joel 3.1-2, 9-10

V. James 1.27

VI. Isaiah 58.7; 1 John 4.20

“Batter my heart three-person’d God” from Holy Sonnet XIV, John Donne (1572-1631)