Opening Prayers/Prayers of Adoration for Ash Wednesday

​O my all-merciful God and Lord, Jesus Christ, full of pity: Through Your great love You came down and became incarnate in order to save everyone. O Savior, I ask You to save me by Your grace! If You save anyone because of their works, that would not be grace but only reward of duty, but You are compassionate and full of mercy! You said, O my Christ, “Whoever believes in Me shall live and never die.” If then, faith in You saves the lost, then save me, O my God and Creator, for I believe.

Let faith and not my unworthy works be counted to me, O my God, for You will find no works which could account me righteous. O Lord, from now on let me love You as intensely as I have loved sin, and work for You as hard as I once worked for the evil one. I promise that I will work to do Your will, my Lord and God, Jesus Christ, all the days of my life and forever more. Amen.

John Chrysostom

Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Book of Common Prayer (1979)

Wilderness Prayer 

 Inspired by Deuteronomy 8:2-3,14-16

God of the Ages
Our Deliverer and Provider
We bow in humility before your grace

You feed us with the divine
Your word
Your body

You quench our thirst with living water
A stream in the desert

You guide our feet through snares and snakes
You free us from slavery to sin and self and shame and death
You lead us the long way to holiness and home

Grow in us wholehearted allegiance
that our blessing and devotion may never waver
that we may always recognize and trust your desire to do us good

Amen

Wilderness Prayer © 2017 by Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia, www.revlisad.com

Leader: O mighty God and merciful Father, who has compassion on all humanity, and who does not will the death of sinners, but rather that they should turn from sin and be saved; in your mercy forgive us; receive and comfort us, who grieve and are weary of our sins. Your nature is to have mercy; you alone can forgive sins. Spare us, good Lord, spare your people who you have redeemed; do not condemn us; but turn away your anger from us, who humbly acknowledge our sin and repent of our faults. Come quickly to help us in this world, that we may forever live with you in the world to come, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

People: Turn to us, O good Lord, and we will be turned. Have favor on us, O Lord; have favor on your people, who turn to you in weeping, fasting, and praying. For you are a merciful God, full of compassion, patient, and full of pity. You spare us when we deserve punishment, and in your anger, you remember mercy. Spare your people, good Lord, spare us, and do not let your people be left without comfort. Hear us, O Lord, for your mercy is great. Look on us through your great mercy, through the merit and mediation of your blessed Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Book of Common Prayer (1928). Modern language adaptation.

Leader: I cry out to God Most High; to God who accomplishes all things for me. Yes, in the shadow of your wings, I will take refuge, until disaster has passed.

People: Be merciful to me, God, be merciful to me, for my soul takes refuge in you.

Adapted from Ash Wednesday introit in the Evangelical Lutheran Hymn Book (1918), Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod.

Almighty and everlasting God, who hates nothing that you have made and forgives the sins of all who are penitent; create in us new and contrite hearts, that we, grieving our sins and acknowledging our misery, may receive from you, God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, throughout all generations, forever and ever.

Adapted and modernized from Ash Wednesday collect in the Evangelical Lutheran Hymn Book (1918), Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod.