Prayer for joy in Lent

As believers, we can still hold on to hope. Because He never means that we get stuck in our sin, pain, or deep pain. He heals and restores, calls us forward, reminds us that we have great purpose and great hope in him.

There is beauty and grandeur behind every sign of the darkness. The ashes will fall, they will not remain forever, but His greatness and glory shine forever through every broken place and defect through which we have struggled.

Unpublished prayer: My God, in this period of Lent we are reminded of our difficulties and struggles. Sometimes the street felt too dark. Sometimes we feel like our lives have been marked by such pain and pain, we don't see how our circumstances can ever change. But in the midst of our weakness, we ask you to be strong for us. Lord, rise within us, let your Spirit shine from every broken place we have passed through. Allow your power to manifest through our weakness, so that others recognize that you are working on our behalf. We ask you to exchange the ashes of our lives for the beauty of your Presence. Exchange our mourning and our pain with the oil of joy and gladness of your Spirit. Exchange our despair for hope and praise. We choose to thank you today and believe this season of darkness will fade away. Thank you that you are with us in everything we face and that you are greater than this test. We know and recognize that you are Sovereign, we thank you for the victory that is ours thanks to Christ Jesus, and we are confident that you still have good in store for our future. We thank you that you are at work right now, exchanging our ashes for more beauty. We praise you for making all things new. In the name of Jesus, Amen.