Creating a Lenten Prayer Space: Inviting Stillness and Reflection Into Your Home

Quiet the noise, egg tempera, Jenny Gallo, 1985 (description below ⬇️)

Lent is a season of quieting the noise, making space for prayer, and drawing closer to God. One simple yet meaningful way to embrace this time is by creating a dedicated Lenten prayer space in your home. Whether it's a small corner of a room, a tabletop arrangement, or a space by a favorite chair, this intentional setting can serve as a daily invitation to pause, reflect, and center your heart.

Consider incorporating elements that deepen your connection to the season—perhaps a candle to symbolize Christ’s light, a cross as a visual anchor, a simple bowl of ashes or stones to remind you of repentance, or a piece of artwork that speaks to your Lenten journey. Keep a journal or sketchbook nearby for written or artistic reflections. Most importantly, let this space be a sanctuary of stillness where you can sit, breathe, and listen.

For those looking to take this practice further, I’ll be expanding on this idea over on Substack with thoughts on creating your own Stations of the Cross for personal devotion. Subscribe and join me there as we explore ways to bring meaningful visual storytelling into our Lenten practice.

P.S.- The wilderness image at the top of this post is an egg tempera painting I created in college—one I return to every Lent. Each year, I place it in a quiet corner of my home as a visual reminder of the season’s invitation to stillness and reflection. Though I can’t recall exactly what was happening in my life when I painted it, I suspect the subject matter revealed my own need for a wilderness moment. Perhaps it speaks to you in a similar way, inviting you to embrace the quiet and listen for what this season has to offer.