An Ash Wednesday Prayer

Lord, today I remember what I am made of.

Dust. That's the honest word.
I spend most of the year forgetting it —
building, hurrying, polishing the surface —
and today I stop pretending.
From dust I came, and to dust I will return,
and only You are forever.

So I bring You the truth about myself:
the sharp words I told myself were justified,
the good I meant to do and quietly didn't,
the distance I have let grow between us.
I am not here to explain any of it.
I am here to say I'm sorry.

Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Not a patched-up one — a clean one.
Renew a right spirit within me.

A long road stretches from here to Easter.
Walk it with me, Lord.
Whatever I set down for Lent,
let the real fast be this:
less of my own way, and more of You.

In Jesus' name, Amen.

When to Pray This

Pray this on Ash Wednesday, whether or not ashes are part of your tradition — before a service, or simply alone at the start of the day. The ashes are optional; the honest heart is the whole point.

A Verse to Hold On To

"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." — Psalm 51:10 (KJV)