The 40-day Lent prayer challenge, 2027
Lent 2027 begins on Ash Wednesday, February 10, and runs 40 days to Holy Saturday, March 27. Easter Sunday is March 28. The challenge is simple: pray for about ten minutes every day of Lent, following one theme each week, from returning to God on Ash Wednesday to waiting at the tomb on Holy Saturday. Below are the dates, the weekly themes and passages, an optional practice for each week, and a Lent prayer you can pray today.
Lent 2027 dates
- Ash Wednesday: Wednesday, February 10, 2027 (day 1)
- Palm Sunday: Sunday, March 21, 2027
- Holy Week: Monday, March 22 to Saturday, March 27
- Maundy Thursday: March 25. Good Friday: March 26. Holy Saturday: March 27 (day 40)
- Easter Sunday: March 28, 2027
Why 40 days, and why Sundays don't count
Forty days echoes Jesus in the wilderness: "Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil." Matthew 4:1 (WEB). He fasted forty days and nights there before his ministry began. Lent is the church's way of walking toward the cross and the empty tomb with him.
From Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday is 46 days. The six Sundays in between are not counted, because every Sunday is a small Easter, a celebration of the resurrection. Take 46, leave out 6, and you have 40. Many people pray on Sundays too, of course; they just don't count them as Lent days.
Churches keep Lent differently. Some Protestant churches hold an Ash Wednesday service, some don't mark the season at all. You don't need any of that to take part. This challenge is about prayer, not rules.
The 7 weeks: dates, themes and scripture
| Week | Days | Dates (2027) | Theme | Scripture |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1–4 | Wed Feb 10 – Sat Feb 13 | Return | Joel 2:12–13, Psalm 51 |
| 2 | 5–10 | Mon Feb 15 – Sat Feb 20 | Wilderness | Matthew 4:1–11, Deuteronomy 8, Psalm 91 |
| 3 | 11–16 | Mon Feb 22 – Sat Feb 27 | Thirst | John 4, Psalm 42, Isaiah 55 |
| 4 | 17–22 | Mon Mar 1 – Sat Mar 6 | Light and sight | John 9, Psalm 27, Ephesians 5:8–14 |
| 5 | 23–28 | Mon Mar 8 – Sat Mar 13 | Lost and found | Luke 15, Psalm 32 |
| 6 | 29–34 | Mon Mar 15 – Sat Mar 20 | Life from death | John 11, Ezekiel 37, Luke 19:28–44 |
| 7 | 35–40 | Mon Mar 22 – Sat Mar 27 | Holy Week | John 12 and 13, Luke 23 |
Sundays (Feb 14, 21, 28, Mar 7, 14, 21) sit between the weeks and are not counted. Easter Sunday, March 28, is the celebration the whole season leads to.
Each week, in a few lines
Week 1: Return (Feb 10–13)
"Yet even now," says the LORD, "turn to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning." Joel 2:12 (WEB)
Lent opens with an invitation, not a scolding. Joel goes on: "for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness" (Joel 2:13, WEB). We come back because God is kind. Pray Psalm 51: "Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me." Psalm 51:10 (WEB).
Week 2: Wilderness (Feb 15–20)
Jesus answered temptation with scripture: "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of God’s mouth." Matthew 4:4 (WEB). This week, pray about what tempts you and what you lean on instead of God.
Week 3: Thirst (Feb 22–27)
"My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?" Psalm 42:2 (WEB)
Jesus met a woman at a well and offered her living water (John 4:14). Pray honestly about where you feel dry.
Week 4: Light and sight (Mar 1–6)
A man born blind says, "One thing I do know: that though I was blind, now I see." John 9:25 (WEB). Pray Psalm 27:1, "The LORD is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear?" and ask God to show you what you've stopped seeing.
Week 5: Lost and found (Mar 8–13)
"But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion, and ran, fell on his neck, and kissed him." Luke 15:20 (WEB)
The father runs. Pray from the place you feel farthest away.
Week 6: Life from death (Mar 15–20)
At Lazarus' tomb Jesus says, "I am the resurrection and the life." John 11:25 (WEB). In Ezekiel's valley of dry bones God says, "I will cause breath to enter into you, and you will live." Ezekiel 37:5 (WEB). Then Jesus turns toward Jerusalem. Pray about what feels dead or stuck.
Week 7: Holy Week (Mar 22–27)
- Mon Mar 22: Jesus clears the temple.
- Tue Mar 23: Mary anoints Jesus (John 12:1–8).
- Wed Mar 24: Betrayal, and the cost of following.
- Maundy Thursday, Mar 25: Jesus washes feet. "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also love one another." John 13:34 (WEB).
- Good Friday, Mar 26: The cross (Luke 23:33–49).
- Holy Saturday, Mar 27: Waiting at the tomb (Luke 23:50–56).
- Easter Sunday, Mar 28: "He isn’t here, but is risen." Luke 24:6 (WEB).
Optional weekly practices
Lent has long included fasting, giving and simpler living. These are offered, not required. Pick one, or none. None of them earns God's love; they make a little room to notice it.
- Return: write down one thing you want to turn back from, and pray about it each day.
- Wilderness: skip one meal or one habit (social media, a snack) and pray in that time.
- Thirst: drink a glass of water slowly each morning and pray Psalm 42:2.
- Light and sight: each evening, name where you saw God that day.
- Lost and found: reach out to someone you've drifted from.
- Life from death: give something away: money, time, or an apology.
- Holy Week: read one gospel account of each day, slowly.
Isaiah describes the fast God cares about: "to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke" (Isaiah 58:6, WEB). If a practice turns into a scorecard, drop it and just pray.
A Lent prayer for today
Lord Jesus, you went into the wilderness for forty days and came out ready to walk toward the cross. I want to walk with you this Lent. I'm coming back, not because I've earned it, but because you are gracious and merciful and you keep calling me home. Show me what I lean on instead of you, and give me the courage to set it down. Where I'm dry, be water. Where I can't see, be light. Where I've wandered, run to meet me. Teach me to love the way you loved, all the way to the cross. And keep me waiting with hope, because Sunday is coming. Amen.
If you start late
Start on the day it is. If you find this on March 3, pray week 4 and keep going. Lent is not a test you can fail by missing the start. Each day of our plan stands on its own, so a late start or a missed day doesn't leave you behind.
New to praying every day? Our guide on how to pray every day gives a simple shape, and the 40 prayer journal prompts fit the 40 days of Lent, one a day.
Pray the 40 days with us
Each day of Lent 2027, a guided prayer read aloud to you, on the right date, from Ash Wednesday to Easter. Ten minutes a day.
Or pray day 1 free first. No email needed.
Sources
Scripture: World English Bible (public domain), eBible.org. Dates: Western church calendar for 2027 (Easter Sunday March 28, 2027). Pages read for this guide: Hallow, "Pray40"; Northwestern Publishing House, "Lenten Prayer Journey"; Crosswalk, "Lent Prayers"; Mark Batterson, "Draw the Circle: The 40 Day Prayer Challenge".