The Lenten imPossible Prayer Journey
Five Daily Pauses. Seven Sacred Invitations. One imPossible Hope.
During the season of Lent, we invite you into a daily rhythm of prayer for a world without gender-based violence.
Five times each day, we pause to remember survivors, lament lives lost, confront the systems that sustain violence, and imagine a world transformed by justice, dignity, and love.
Our practice is guided by the seven last words of Christ and accompanied by prayer beads. Each bead represents an invitation to pray, remember, and act.
This rhythm respectfully acknowledges the Islamic practice of salah, while remaining rooted in the Christian Lenten tradition.
You are welcome to participate wherever you are, as you are able. Prayer beads are an invitation, not a requirement.
Seven words. Seven beads. Five daily pauses. One imPossible prayer: Let violence end.
The Five Sacred Pauses
Five Times a Day. Seven Last Words. One imPossible Prayer.
During Lent, we pause five times each day to pray for an end to gender-based violence.
Our Daily Prayer Times
5:00 AM
9:00 AM
12:00 PM
5:00 PM
9:00 PM
At each pause, we journey through the same seven last words of Christ, guided by seven colored beads and seven invitations: Compassion, Belonging, Longing, Fidelity, Lament, Trust, and Surrender.
We begin with the cross, move through each of the seven words and their corresponding prayers, and conclude with our shared hope for a world without gender-based violence.
The repetition is intentional. We return to these prayers throughout the day, allowing them to shape our remembrance, deepen our compassion, and strengthen our commitment to action.
The practice does not change with the hour. We are changed through the practice.
Participation is welcome at any of the five daily pauses. Prayer beads are encouraged but not required.
The Seven Last Words: Our Daily Prayers
Five times each day, we return to these seven words of Christ and their corresponding prayer intentions.
1. “Father, forgive them.” — COMPASSION — Luke 23:34
Forgiveness and longing for the repentance and transformation of those who perpetrate violence.
2. “Woman, behold your son.” — BELONGING — John 19:26–27
Express longing for communities of care, protection, and belonging.
3. “I thirst.” — LONGING — John 19:28
Express longing for survivors to experience safety, healing, dignity, and peace.
4. “Today you will be with me in paradise.” — FIDELITY — Luke 23:43
May God's promises be fulfilled. Pray for faithfulness to those who suffer.
5. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” — LAMENT — Matthew 27:46
Lament and sadness about gender-based violence and the lives it has taken.
6. “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” — TRUST — Luke 23:46
Entrust our impossible prayer to God, trusting in God's desire for violence to end.
7. “It is finished.” — SURRENDER — John 19:30
Demonstrate trust that gender-based violence need not be inevitable. Surrender the burden to God without surrendering our commitment to action.
Seven words. Seven invitations. Five daily pauses. One imPossible prayer: Let violence end.
How to Pray with the Beads
Sit. See. Say. Surrender. Return to Sit.
The imPossible Prayer Movement invites us to engage our bodies, minds, and spirits as we pray for an end to gender-based violence.
1. SIT — Hold the Cross
Become still. Sit in the presence of Christ, the Father, and the Holy Spirit. Remember that you do not carry the burden of the world's violence alone.
2. SEE — Hold the Second Cruciform Bead
Contemplate the reality of gender-based violence. Bring to mind those who suffer, those who have survived, and those whose lives have been lost.
Seeing is essential to loving. Refuse to look away.
3. SAY — Hold the Third Bead
Speak to God about the seemingly impossible reality of gender-based violence.
Move through the seven last words of Christ and their corresponding prayer intentions, giving voice to your longing for justice, healing, and transformation.
4. SURRENDER — Entrust the Prayer to God
Remember who God is. Entrust the burden to God, believing that a world without gender-based violence is possible.
Surrender is not resignation. It is trust that strengthens our commitment to act.
5. RETURN TO SIT — Rest in God's Presence
Return to stillness in the presence of the Spirit, the Father, and the Son.
Amen.
Repeat this practice at each of the five daily prayer pauses throughout Lent. The beads guide our attention; they are not required for participation.
The Prayer Continues Beyond Lent
Lent is one season of prayer, but our commitment to ending gender-based violence continues throughout the year.