A Prayer Made for Lent

Text: Psalm 143

Reflection and Question: The psalmist here cries out for deliverance from his or her enemies. We usually think of enemies as adversaries beyond ourselves who gang up against us. But in this penitential season of Lent, the psalm lends itself to consideration of our sin; the enemy now is the one within us, our tendency toward sin, falling short of God’s will for us. When we ask with the psalmist to be saved from our enemies, it makes good sense, then, to pray for God to teach us to do God’s will, to be led on a level path. What enemy, as your own sin, pursues you, and who is your refuge?

Prayer: O God, make haste to answer me; my spirit fails me;
do not hide your face from me. . . .
Let me hear of your loving-kindness in the morning, for I put my trust in You;
Show me the road that I must walk, for I lift up my soul to You. Amen.
(adapted from Psalm 143, The Book of Common Worship, p. 774.)

This meditation is based on the Daily Lectionary Year 2 from the Book of Common Worship for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) (1993).