This Lent at King’s Cross, we are praying through the Psalms of Ascent. Here is week 1.
Psalms of Ascent (click here to download full Lenten Prayer Guide)
WAIT Psalm 130
First Week of Lent, Feb. 18-21
I. Opening Prayer
O, LORD
No day of my life has passed that has not proved me guilty in Thy sight.
Prayers have been uttered from a prayerless heart;
Praise has been often praiseless sound;
My best services are filthy rags.
Blessed Jesus,
let me find a hiding place in Thy appeasing wounds.
Though my sins rise to heaven,
Thy merits soar above them;
Though unrighteousness weighs me down to hell,
Thy righteousness exalts me to Thy throne.
All things in me call for my rejection,
All things in Thee plead my acceptance.
I appeal from the throne of perfect justice to Thy throne of boundless grace.
Grant me to hear Thy voice assuring me:
that by Thy stripes I am healed,
that Thou wast bruised for my iniquities,
that Thou hast been made sin for me
that I might be righteous in Thee,
that my grievous sins, my manifold sins, are all forgiven,
buried in the ocean of Thy concealing blood.
I am guilty, but pardoned,
lost, but saved,
wandering, but found,
sinning, but cleansed.
Give me perpetual broken-heartedness,
Keep me always clinging to Thy cross,
Flood me every moment with descending grace,
Open to me the springs of divine knowledge. Amen.
“The Broken Heart” from The Valley of Vision
II. Psalm 130
- Read Psalm 130 aloud slowly. What captured your attention?
- Meditate on the Psalm. One-minute silent reflection. What words or phrases particularly struck you?
- Pray the Psalm. How does it lead you to praise, confess, thank, or petition Christ?
- Obey the Psalm. What is God asking you to do? How will you be obedient today? How will the spoken word get infused into your everyday life?
- Reflection and Listening: Silent and Written.
IV. Prayer for Cypress
Local Schools:
Adam Elementary Andre’ Elementary Ault Elementary Bane Elementary
Bang Elementary Birkes Elementary Black Elementary Copeland Elementary
Anthony Middle Aragon Middle Arnold Middle Cy-Fair High School
Cy Creek High School
Churches:
Bridgepoint Community Church St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church
Neighbors:
-Pray for your across the street neighbors
King’s Cross:
-Pray for Dennis, Jane, and the Hermerding family
V. Hymn:
From the Depths of Woe (Psalm 130)
Music by Christopher Miner, Words by Martin Luther
1. From the depths of woe I raise to Thee, a voice of lamentation.
Lord, turn a gracious ear to me, And hear my supplication.
If Thou iniquities dost mark, Our secret sins and misdeeds dark, O who shall stand before Thee?
2. To wash away the crimson stain, Grace, grace alone availeth.
Our works, alas! are all in vain; In much the best life faileth.
No man can glory in Thy sight, All must alike confess Thy might, And live alone by mercy.
3. Therefore my trust is in the Lord, And not in mine own merit.
On Him my soul shall rest, His word upholds my fainting spirit.
His promised mercy is my fort, My comfort, and my sweet support. I wait for it with patience.
4. What though I wait the live-long night, And ’til the dawn appeareth.
My heart still trusteth in His might, It doubteth not nor feareth.
Do thus, O ye of Israel’s seed, Ye of the Spirit born indeed, And wait ’til God appeareth.
5. Though great our sins and sore our woes,
His grace much more aboundeth.
His helping love no limit knows, Our upmost need it soundeth.
Our Shepherd good and true is He, Who will at last His Israel free,
From all their sin and sorrow.
VI. Closing Prayer
Father, I know my wounded and broken places oh so well. At times they can consume me and keep me from being able to hear your voice. Help me to see my pain as an invitation to know you more intimately rather than a reason to doubt the goodness of your heart. Help me to know that through my pain you desire to accomplish something very good in me. In the name of Jesus, the Author of our salvation, who was “made perfect through suffering.” Jim Branch
Kings Cross Church 