30 days

Lent Journal: 30 Days of Reflection

Faith & Prayer

Lent lasts forty days from Ash Wednesday to Easter, not counting Sundays. This plan covers the first 30 days of Lent, starting on Ash Wednesday as day 1. It is written for Christians who journal as a way of praying, whether you have kept a prayer journal for years or are opening a notebook for the first time this season. For the remaining days of Lent and through Holy Week, we suggest you go back to the days that meant the most to you and write with those prompts again.

The days begin with simple questions about where you are and what you are carrying. Then they move slowly toward honesty, mercy, forgiveness, trust and the cross. They close by looking back over your entries and looking ahead to Holy Week and Easter. Take one prompt a day and give it about ten minutes, with a pen, a cup of something warm and a little quiet if you can find it. If you miss a day, or several, that is fine. Pick up again wherever you are.

The days

  1. Ashes and Beginnings

    Today is Ash Wednesday. Write about what brought you to this Lent and what you hope these weeks might hold.

    You do not need perfect words to begin, only honest ones.

  2. Where You Are Today

    Describe one ordinary moment from today in detail: where you were, what you saw and how you felt. Then write a short prayer that starts from that exact place.

    Prayer can begin right where you are standing.

  3. What You Are Carrying

    Make a list of what you are carrying into Lent, both the light things and the heavy ones. Which one would you like to bring to God first?

    Naming what you carry is already a kind of prayer.

  4. A Practice for the Season

    If you have chosen something to give up or take on for Lent, write about why you chose it. If you have not chosen yet, write about what might make a little more room for prayer in your days.

    A small practice kept with love is plenty.

  5. Your Quiet Place

    Where do you find it easiest to be still and pray? Describe that place, and write about how you might return to it this week.

    Even a corner of a kitchen table can become holy ground.

  6. Small Daily Gifts

    Write down five small things from the past day that you are thankful for. Choose one and thank God for it in a few plain sentences.

    Gratitude often starts with the smallest things.

  7. Hunger and Longing

    What are you hungry for that has nothing to do with food? Write about a longing you have carried quietly for a while.

    Your longings are welcome on the page.

  8. Wilderness Seasons

    Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness, which you can read about in Matthew 4:1-11. Write about a time in your own life that felt like a wilderness and what helped you keep going.

    You have come through hard places before.

  9. What Pulls You Away

    Notice what draws your attention away from prayer or from the people around you. Write about one distraction honestly, without scolding yourself.

    Noticing gently is enough for today.

  10. An Honest Confession

    Write about something you wish you had done differently recently. Tell God about it in your own words, as plainly as you would tell a trusted friend.

    Honesty on the page can feel like setting down a heavy bag.

  11. Receiving Mercy

    When have you been shown mercy you did not expect, from God or from another person? Write about what it felt like to receive it.

    Remembering mercy can soften a hard day.

  12. Someone to Forgive

    Is there someone you are finding it hard to forgive? Write about the hurt honestly, then write what one small step toward forgiveness might look like, even if you are not ready to take it yet.

    Forgiveness can take its time, and so can you.

  13. Forgiving Yourself

    Write about something you keep holding against yourself. What would it be like to bring it to God and leave it there, just for today?

    You are allowed to be gentle with yourself.

  14. Room to Breathe

    Look around the room you are in and notice one thing you could do without, whether it is an object, a habit or a worry. Write about what wanting a little less might open up in you.

    Simplicity can make space for what matters most.

  15. A Halfway Pause

    You are halfway through this plan. Read back over a few earlier entries and write about what you notice in yourself and in your prayers.

    Look how far you have already come.

  16. Serving Someone Nearby

    Think of someone near you who could use a little help this week. Write about what you might offer and what holds you back.

    Small kindnesses count more than you might think.

  17. People You Overlook

    Who do you pass most days without really seeing? Write about them, and pray for them by name or by a simple description.

    Your prayer can reach people who never know you prayed.

  18. The Words You Speak

    Think about the words you spoke yesterday. Write about one thing you said that brought life and one thing you wish you could take back.

    Every day brings a fresh chance to speak kindly.

  19. Fear and Trust

    What are you afraid of right now? Write the fear down plainly, then write a prayer asking for the trust to carry it one day at a time.

    Fears often feel a little smaller once they are written down.

  20. When Prayer Feels Dry

    Write about a time when prayer felt empty or quiet. What did you do then, and what would you want to say to God on a day like that?

    Showing up on a dry day is still faithful.

  21. Writing a Lament

    Read Psalm 13 if you like, then write your own short lament about something that grieves you. Let it be as honest as you need it to be.

    Sorrow has a place in prayer too.

  22. Letting Go of Control

    Name one situation you keep trying to fix on your own. Write a letter to God about it, and end by writing what you are willing to release.

    You do not have to hold everything by yourself.

  23. Real Rest

    Sundays in Lent are often kept as days of rest. Write about what real rest looks like for you and what tends to keep you from it.

    Rest is a gift you are allowed to receive.

  24. Toward the Cross

    Spend a few quiet minutes picturing Jesus walking toward the cross. Write about what stirs in you as you imagine it.

    Whatever you feel today belongs in your prayer.

  25. Love That Gives

    Write about a time someone gave something up out of love for you. How did it change you, and how did it shape the way you love others?

    Love you have received can teach you how to give.

  26. Hidden Growth

    Seeds grow underground long before anything shows. Write about something you sense may be growing in you quietly, even if you cannot see it yet.

    Slow growth is still growth.

  27. People Who Showed You Faith

    Write about someone whose faith shaped yours. What did you learn from watching how they lived?

    Giving thanks for others is a lovely way to pray.

  28. Looking Back

    Read through your entries from these weeks. Write about which day surprised you most and why.

    Your pages hold more than you may realize.

  29. What You Want to Keep

    Which prayer, practice or insight from this Lent do you want to carry past Easter? Write about how you might keep it alive in ordinary weeks.

    What you keep can quietly shape the year ahead.

  30. Toward Holy Week

    Lent is not over yet, and Holy Week lies ahead. Write a prayer for the days still to come, and list the entries you want to return to before Easter.

    You can walk the rest of this season one page at a time.

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