As part of my preparation for Lent each year, I write a prayer for Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. Over the last couple of years, I have preferred to revisit and reflect on prayers from previous years which I have collected here. It seems a little ironic that in 2018 I posted this on Valentine’s Day because Ash Wednesday coincided with Valentines Day and Easter with April fools Day, giving us the theme: For love of the world God did foolish things so it really does make it appropriate.
I am also broadening my own perspectives by reading liturgies and prayers from Cole Author Riley who hosts black liturgies on instagram, twitter and Facebook and am also being enriched once more by reading Howard Thurman’s Meditations of the Heart which I will start reading on Ash Wednesday.
I also think that this Black Lives Matter communion liturgy is a powerful one to use for Ash Wednesday
I have updated the links to previous prayers and added more links to other inspirational prayers that you might like to check out.
- In 2022, I introduced a couple ideas for art practices including using this ash paint recipe.
- In 2021, I wrote a Meditation Monday on the ritual of burning a mask I used and Carol Dixon offered this prayer and hymn
- In 2020, I wrote this prayer for Ash Wednesday.
- A few from from 2019 include this Ash Wednesday prayer and another for 2019.
- My 2018 Ash Wednesday prayer was inspired by an earlier prayer I wrote.
- View my 2017 Ash Wednesday prayer which reflects on the idea of burnt ashes.
- Here is a link to my 2016 Ash Wednesday prayer.
- The 2015 Ash Wednesday prayer was adapted from Isaiah 58 – one of my favourite scriptures to meditate on at this season.
I suggest that after you read through the prayer, you then read the scripture Isaiah 58:5-12 in The Voice translation, and then again in the New Living Translation, and finally in The Message. Spend time thinking about the implications of these verses for your life and how God might challenge you to live them out during the season of Lent.
My prayer for Ash Wednesday 2014 comes out of my own deep desire to be transformed and to see something new of God’s image emerge in my life.
You might also like to check out some of the prayers from previous years.
This prayer was adapted by Odyssey ministries in the following video. Putting prayers like this to music with photos is a practice that I find very faith building. Perhaps it is a practice you would like to enter into during this Lenten season.
- Another prayer for Ash Wednesday 2012
- Ash Wednesday Prayer 2011
- Ash Wednesday Prayer 2010
And our Lenten meditation video from 2012 below:
The featured music: “O Redemptor” from the CD “Prayers of St. Brendan” by Jeff Johnson
© 2011 Ark Records Used with permission. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Other inspirational Ash Wednesday Prayers
- Prayerlist.com has a great collection of prayers for Ash Wednesday
- Global Christian Worship gives a huge list meditations, devotionals, and prayers as well as songs for Ash Wednesday
- Faith and Worship has a great Ash Wednesday Liturgy
- Church Marketing Sucks shares from the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer while looking at Lent and Social Media.
- From the United Methodist Church another Ash Wednesday Prayer
- Resources from Textweek.com are always worth revisiting.
- From Catholics Online links to a rich array of Ash Wednesday prayers
- An Ash Wednesday Collect from Bosco Peters in New Zealand
- Prayer + Possibilities offers an Ash Wednesday Prayer and Reflection
- Large list of Ash Wednesday Prayers from Catholic Online
- A Beautiful Prayer for Ash Wednesday provided by Crosswalk.com
- Journey with Jesus shares the “Marked by Ashes” poem by Walter Brueggeman
- I enjoyed this interesting reflection on the contrast between Lent and Carnival
You may also like to listen to T.S. Eliot read the first part of his famous Ash Wednesday poem and reflect on what he says. Or read the entire poem and commentary.
Please check out our complete list of Godspace resources for Lent through Holy Week