Lent Week 2
Repentance & Restoration
The season of Lent is about returning to God with all our heart. It’s a time to pause, reflect, and enter more intentionally into practices that shape our longing for God, and our experience of his Presence in daily life.
Lent is also a time to be aware of things holding us back from the abundant life God desires for us, and to surrender any areas of life we’re holding back from him. It’s a moment to renew our commitment to him. Central to Lent is the idea that we need God’s Presence for everything in life, every single day.
This week we’ll start by reading and praying words from Psalm 51, a psalm of repentance and restoration.
Scripture
Psalm 51:1-5 & 10-15
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge…
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you. Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Saviour, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise. Unseal my lips, O Lord, that my mouth may praise you.
Prayer
Merciful Lord,
you know my struggle to serve you:
when sin spoils my life
and overshadows my heart,
come to my aid
and turn me back to you again;
through Jesus Christ
my loving Lord and Saviour.
Amen