Grounded and Growing—Leading Prayers of the People During Lent

This is part of the worship series, 
"Grounded and Growing—Journeying from Lent to Easter”
though the wisdom contained is relevant for any season or theme. 

Series Introduction | Ash Wednesday | Lent 1 | Lent 2 | Lent 3 | Lent 4 | Lent 5 | 
Palm/Passion Sunday | Maundy Thursday | Good Friday | Easter
Leading Prayers of the People During Lent | A Communion Liturgy for Lent

Also in this year-long, Grounded and Growing series: Advent and Christmas | Epiphany 

Always pray in the way that is best for your community, but consider these suggestions for how to lead this prayer during the season of Lent. 

Leader

It can be led by a pastor or any member of the community.  

Theme

The prayers of the people gather up the cries, concerns, and hopes of the congregation and place them before God. In Lent, these prayers should be honest, wide-angled, and rooted in trust, with themes and language shaped by the day’s texts and attentive to the world we carry into worship.
As you prepare this prayer, attend to the movement of the season: we are a baptized people, walking with Christ into the wilderness, learning again where our life comes from. 

Structure

Shape the prayer in five movements, moving from the wide world to the lives we know most closely:

1. For the Church
   1. Pray for the Church in every place,
   2. For faithfulness, courage, repentance, and hope,
   3. That we may be grounded in grace and growing in love.
2. For the World
   1. Pray for nations, leaders, and communities,
   2. For peace where there is war,
   3. For justice where there is oppression,
   4. For wisdom where there is fear.
3. For Those in Need
   1. Pray for the sick, the grieving, the lonely, and the anxious,
   2. For those facing uncertainty, loss, or hardship,
   3. For all who walk through wilderness places.
4. For Creation
   1. Pray for the earth and all its creatures,
   2. For places wounded by disaster or neglect,
   3. For the healing of land, water, and air.
5. For Our Own Lives
   1. Pray for repentance and renewal,
   2. For courage to follow Christ,
   3. For trust in God’s promises,
   4. For hearts ready to receive grace. 

Tone and Style

• Use language that is honest and hopeful.
• Avoid vague generalities — be concrete and specific.
• Let Scripture quietly shape the prayer’s vocabulary.
• Keep the pace steady and the sentences speakable.
• Leave space for silence if appropriate. 

Closing

Conclude by gathering all the prayers into God’s mercy and care, trusting that the God who calls us into the wilderness also walks with us on the way.