Faith & Life / Prayers for the Day
Quick Summary
The Christian year tells the story of Jesus every twelve months: waiting in Advent, joy at Christmas, light at Epiphany, repentance in Lent, sorrow on Good Friday, resurrection at Easter, and the gift of the Spirit at Pentecost. Then the long green season of Ordinary Time teaches us to live that story day by day.
This page gives you a morning prayer for every season and holy day of the church year, plus New Year's Day and Thanksgiving. Each one pairs a passage of Scripture with a short reflection and a prayer to begin the day. Find the season you are in and start there.
The Christian Year at a Glance
| Season | When | Color | Morning Verse |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advent | 4 Sundays before Christmas | Purple or blue | Isaiah 9:2 |
| Christmas | Dec 25 to Jan 5 | White | Luke 2:11 |
| Epiphany | January 6 | White, then green | Matthew 2:10-11 |
| Ash Wednesday | 46 days before Easter | Purple | Psalm 51:10 |
| Lent | 40 days before Easter | Purple | Joel 2:12-13 |
| Holy Week | Palm Sunday to Saturday | Red or purple | Philippians 2:5-8 |
| Good Friday | Friday before Easter | None or black | John 19:30 |
| Easter | 50 days | White or gold | Luke 24:5-6 |
| Ascension | 40 days after Easter | White | Acts 1:9-11 |
| Pentecost | 50 days after Easter | Red | Acts 2:1-4 |
| Ordinary Time | After Epiphany and Pentecost | Green | Colossians 3:17 |
Colors follow common Presbyterian practice. Scripture references from the New Revised Standard Version.
What Is the Christian Year?
The Christian year, also called the church year or the liturgical calendar, is the way the church marks time around the life of Christ. Its year begins with Advent, four Sundays before Christmas, and moves through two great cycles. The first centers on Christ's birth: Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany. The second centers on his death and resurrection: Lent, Holy Week, Easter, and Pentecost. Between and after them come the weeks of Ordinary Time.
Presbyterians, Lutherans, Methodists, Episcopalians, and Catholics all keep the Christian year, with small differences. Each season has its own color for the paraments and stoles in worship, its own Scripture readings, and its own mood. Praying the seasons in the morning lets the story of Jesus shape the story of your own year. For worship resources for each season, see Worship Resources.
Advent: Waiting in Hope
When: The four Sundays before Christmas Color: Purple or blue
Isaiah 9:2 and Psalm 130:5
"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light." (Isaiah 9:2)
"I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope." (Psalm 130:5)
Advent mornings come in the darkest weeks of the year, and the season leans into that darkness on purpose. The light comes slowly in Advent, one candle more each Sunday, until it fills the room at Christmas. Advent teaches us to wait with hope instead of anxiety, trusting that God's promises always move toward fulfillment.
If your heart feels dim this morning, remember that the smallest light is enough to begin.
A Morning Prayer for Advent
God of promise, thank you for this new morning. While the world rushes toward Christmas, teach me to wait. Let your light rise in me as I wait for your coming. Fill my heart with hope and my thoughts with peace. Help me carry your light into the places that feel dark, and prepare me to welcome Christ with joy. Amen.
For worship in this season, see Advent Liturgy and Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany Sermons.
Christmas: Joy to the World
When: December 25 through January 5, the twelve days of Christmas Color: White or gold
Luke 2:11
"To you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord."
Christmas morning arrives with a different kind of light. The waiting is over. The angel tells shepherds on a night shift that the Savior has been born, and they run to see. God has come close, as close as a baby in a feeding trough.
Joy and peace are more than ideas at Christmas. They have a name, and the name is Jesus. Christmas also lasts longer than one day. The church celebrates for twelve days, all the way to Epiphany. See Angels, Shepherds, and Jesus Born in Bethlehem (Luke 2:8-20) and Mary's Magnificat.
A Morning Prayer for Christmas
Lord Jesus, thank you for coming into the world to bring light and life. Fill my heart with a joy that no darkness can take away. Help me see your love in every person I meet today, the family around my table and the stranger I pass on the street. Let this Christmas be a celebration of your peace, and let my life reflect the hope you have given the world. Amen.
For worship, see Christmas Liturgy.
Epiphany: Light to the Nations
When: January 6, and the season that follows until Lent Color: White on the day of Epiphany, then green
Matthew 2:10-11 and Isaiah 49:6
"When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage." (Matthew 2:10-11)
"I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth." (Isaiah 49:6)
Epiphany means "appearing" or "revealing." On this day the church remembers the Magi, foreigners from the East, who followed a star to Jesus. God's light was never meant for one people only. It shines for the whole world.
The Magi followed the light without knowing exactly where it would lead. God still leads us that way, one step of faith at a time. See Who Were the Magi?
A Morning Prayer for Epiphany
God of light, you showed your glory to the whole world in the birth of your Son. Guide me today by your light and truth. Help me follow where you lead, even when I can't see the whole road, and give you my best the way the Magi did. Let your light shine through me to someone who needs it today. Amen.
For worship, see Epiphany Liturgy.
Ash Wednesday: Dust and Mercy
When: The Wednesday forty-six days before Easter Color: Purple
Genesis 3:19 and Psalm 51:10-12
"You are dust, and to dust you shall return." (Genesis 3:19)
"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit." (Psalm 51:10-12)
On Ash Wednesday, a pastor marks the sign of the cross in ashes on our foreheads and says some of the oldest words in the Bible about being human: you are dust. The ashes tell the truth about our fragility and our sin. They are also shaped like a cross, which tells the truth about God's mercy.
We are dust, and we are deeply loved dust. Lent begins with returning to God. See Nathan the Prophet, David, and Psalm 51.
A Morning Prayer for Ash Wednesday
Merciful God, I come before you this morning with a humble heart. I am dust, and you know it. You formed me from the earth, and you love me anyway. Create in me a clean heart and renew my spirit. Forgive what I have done wrong, and restore the joy of your salvation. Let this Lent draw me closer to you. Amen.
For worship, see Liturgy for Ash Wednesday.
Lent: Walking the Lenten Way
When: Forty days from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday, not counting Sundays Color: Purple
Joel 2:12-13 and Luke 9:23
"Yet even now, says the LORD, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the LORD, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love." (Joel 2:12-13)
"If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." (Luke 9:23)
The forty days of Lent echo the forty days Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness. It is a season of turning back to God through prayer, fasting, and generosity. Joel says it plainly: return to me with all your heart. The torn clothing of grief was a sign. God wants the heart itself.
Jesus says to take up the cross daily. Lent is lived one morning at a time. If you fast during Lent, see 12 Kinds of Fasting in the Bible and Bible Verses About Prayer and Fasting.
A Morning Prayer for Lent
Gracious and merciful God, I am returning to you this morning with my whole heart. Show me what to set down this season and what to take up. Help me carry my cross today, in small acts of faithfulness and love. You are slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Draw me back to you. Amen.
For worship, see Lent and Easter Liturgy.
Holy Week: Walk With Christ
When: From Palm Sunday to Holy Saturday, the week before Easter Color: Red or purple for Palm Sunday, none on Good Friday
Philippians 2:5-8
"Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus... he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."
Holy Week begins with palms and shouts of "Hosanna" and ends at a tomb. In between come the Last Supper, the washing of feet, the garden, the trial, and the cross. It is the most sacred week of the Christian year.
Paul's hymn in Philippians 2 tells the whole week in a few lines. Christ emptied himself, humbled himself, and obeyed all the way to the cross. Holy Week asks us to walk alongside him and let the same mind be in us. See The Triumphal Entry (Luke 19:28-40) and Jesus and the Last Supper (Luke 22:7-23).
A Morning Prayer for Holy Week
Lord Jesus, this week I walk with you toward Jerusalem. Give me your mind: humble, obedient, and full of love. Keep me awake with you in the garden. When I want to look away from the cross, help me stay. Let this week change me. Amen.
For worship, see Liturgy for Palm Sunday and Holy Week and Easter Sermons.
Good Friday: At the Cross
When: The Friday before Easter Color: None, or black; many churches strip the sanctuary bare
John 19:17-18, 30
"Carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. There they crucified him... When Jesus had received the wine, he said, 'It is finished.' Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit."
Good Friday morning arrives heavy and still. On this day our prayers don't rush to Easter. They stay at the cross. Here we see love without disguise: there is no distance God will not cross to redeem what he loves.
Prayer today may be more silence than words. A deep breath. A confession. A whispered thank you. The cross holds us even when we don't understand. See The Crucifixion of Jesus (Luke 23:33-43) and It Is Finished (John 19:30).
A Morning Prayer for Good Friday
Holy God, I stand before the cross this morning. Thank you for the love that suffered for my sake. "It is finished," your Son said, and I rest in what he finished for me. Teach me to trust the mystery of your mercy even in the dark. Let this day draw me closer to the heart of Christ. Amen.
Easter: He Is Risen
When: The Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox, and the fifty days that follow Color: White or gold
Luke 24:5-6 and Matthew 28:6
"Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen." (Luke 24:5-6)
"He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said." (Matthew 28:6)
Easter began at dawn, with women carrying spices to a tomb and expecting to grieve. They found it empty. The question the angels asked them is the question of every Easter morning: why are you looking for the living among the dead?
Easter is more than one day. The church celebrates it for fifty days, because resurrection takes time to sink in. Morning prayer in this season teaches us to live with resurrection eyes, looking for life where the world sees endings. See The Resurrection of Jesus (Luke 24:1-12) and The Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35).
A Morning Prayer for Easter
Risen Christ, thank you for this Easter morning. You have conquered death and brought new life to the world. Fill my heart with joy and my mouth with praise. Where I have been looking for life among the dead, turn me around to see you. Help me live today as a witness to your resurrection. Alleluia! Amen.
Ascension Day: Christ Exalted
When: Forty days after Easter, always a Thursday Color: White
Acts 1:9-11 and Luke 24:51-52
"As they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight... 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven?'" (Acts 1:9, 11)
"While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy." (Luke 24:51-52)
Forty days after Easter, Jesus was taken up into heaven while blessing his disciples. You might expect them to go home sad. Luke says they went back "with great joy." Christ's ascension means he reigns, he prays for us, and he has sent his Spirit. His going away became a new kind of nearness.
The angels' question still applies: why stand there looking up? There is work to do. See The Ascension of Jesus (Acts 1:1-11) and When Did the Ascension Happen?
A Morning Prayer for Ascension Day
Lord Jesus, you have ascended in glory and you reign over all creation. Lift my thoughts above fear and worry this morning. You blessed your disciples as you left them. Bless me today, and send me back into my ordinary life with great joy and with work to do for you. Amen.
Pentecost: Come, Holy Spirit
When: Fifty days after Easter Color: Red
Acts 2:1-4
"When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind... All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit."
Pentecost is the birthday of the church. The disciples were praying together in Jerusalem when the Spirit came like wind and fire, and they began to speak the good news in languages from every nation. The same Spirit who filled them fills the church today.
Red stoles and banners fill sanctuaries on Pentecost Sunday, the color of fire. The Spirit still comes to praying people. See When Did Pentecost Happen? and the Acts 2 Outline, Summary, and Meaning.
A Morning Prayer for Pentecost
Come, Holy Spirit. Fill me this morning the way you filled your church at Pentecost. Breathe new life into what has grown tired in me. Give me courage to speak about your love and the words to say it well. Set my heart on fire for God and for my neighbor. Amen.
For worship, see Pentecost and Trinity Sunday Liturgy.
Ordinary Time: Faithfulness in Everyday Life
When: The weeks after Epiphany and the long season from Pentecost to Advent Color: Green
Colossians 3:17 and Galatians 6:9
"And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (Colossians 3:17)
"So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9)
Ordinary Time is the longest season of the church year, and its color is green, the color of growing things. "Ordinary" comes from the word for counted or numbered weeks, but the name fits in another way too. This is the season for faithfulness in ordinary days: work and meals, errands and chores, kindness that no one notices.
Most of the Christian life is lived in Ordinary Time. Paul's word for it is perseverance: don't grow weary, and keep doing what is right. The harvest comes in its season. For the end of Ordinary Time, see All Saints Liturgy and Christ the King Sunday Liturgy.
A Morning Prayer for Ordinary Time
Lord, this is an ordinary day, and I offer it to you. Let everything I do today, in word or in deed, be done in the name of Jesus and with thanks. When the work feels small or the season feels long, keep me from growing weary. Help me be faithful in little things and trust you with the harvest. Amen.
For worship, see Ordinary Time Liturgy.
Other Days of the Year
New Year's Day: New Beginnings (2 Corinthians 5:17)
"So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!"
New Year's Day is not part of the church's calendar, which begins with Advent, but it is a natural day to pray. We take stock of the year behind us and make promises about the one ahead. Paul's words go deeper than a resolution. In Christ, God makes things new, and he can begin again with you this morning, whatever last year held.
A Morning Prayer for New Year's Day
God of new beginnings, thank you for carrying me through the year behind me, the good days and the hard ones. I give you the year ahead. Where I need a fresh start, make me new. Where I am afraid of what is coming, remind me you are already there. Let this be a year of growing closer to you. Amen.
Thanksgiving Day: Gratitude (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 and Psalm 107:1)
"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
"O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever." (Psalm 107:1)
Thanksgiving is a national holiday in the United States, and many churches mark it with a service of gratitude. Paul's words are surprising: give thanks in all circumstances. He doesn't say for all circumstances. Gratitude is possible even in a hard year, because God's steadfast love endures forever. For more prayers of thanks, see Morning Prayers of Gratitude and Bible Verses About Being Thankful.
A Morning Prayer for Thanksgiving
Generous God, before the table is set and the house fills up, I want to thank you. For food and family, for friends and faith, for this life and every breath of it, thank you. For the empty chairs and the hard parts of this year, hold us close. Make me grateful today and generous every day after. Amen.
Morning Prayers for Children Through the Year
Children love the colors and stories of the Christian year. These short prayers work well at breakfast.
Advent: Dear God, help me wait for Jesus with hope and joy. Let my heart be full of kindness today. Amen.
Christmas: Dear Jesus, happy birthday! Thank you for coming to love us and save us. Amen.
Lent: Dear God, thank you for loving me even when I make mistakes. Make my heart clean and full of love. Amen.
Easter: Dear Jesus, thank you for rising from the dead! You are alive and with us today. Amen.
Pentecost: Holy Spirit, thank you for being with me. Help me be brave and kind today. Amen.
Keep Praying Through the Year
For evening prayers for each season, visit Nightly Prayers. For a morning prayer for each day of the week, return to Prayers for the Day. For the prayers Jesus prayed during Holy Week and on the cross, read Prayers of Jesus in the Bible.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the seasons of the Christian year? Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent (including Holy Week), Easter, Pentecost, and Ordinary Time.
When does the church year begin? On the first Sunday of Advent, four Sundays before Christmas.
What are the colors of the church year? Purple or blue for Advent, white or gold for Christmas and Easter, purple for Lent, red for Pentecost, and green for Ordinary Time. Many churches use no color on Good Friday.
Why does Lent last forty days? The forty days recall the forty days Jesus fasted in the wilderness (Luke 4:1-2). The six Sundays in Lent are not counted, because every Sunday celebrates the resurrection.
How long is the Easter season? Fifty days, from Easter Sunday to Pentecost.
When is Ascension Day? Forty days after Easter, always on a Thursday, because Acts 1:3 says Jesus appeared to his disciples for forty days.
Do Presbyterians follow the Christian year? Yes. The PC(USA) Book of Common Worship follows the Christian year, and most Presbyterian congregations use the Revised Common Lectionary, which assigns Scripture readings for every Sunday of the year.
Is there a morning prayer for each season? Yes. This page gives one for each season and holy day, from Advent through Ordinary Time, plus New Year's Day and Thanksgiving.
Works Consulted
Stookey, Laurence Hull. Calendar: Christ's Time for the Church. Abingdon Press.
Book of Common Worship. Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Westminster John Knox.
Revised Common Lectionary. Consultation on Common Texts.
Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version.
