Bible Society invites you to sign up for Lent Encounter 2026. Journey through the Psalms to Easter with free devotionals delivered to your inbox every day this Lent.
Fill out your details here to receive the Lent Encounter daily emails starting on Wednesday 18 February 2026.
Journey through the Psalms this Lent:
- Explore how these ancient songs speak to topics of creation, grief, justice, forgiveness and worship – and how they point us to Jesus.
- Free daily emails featuring Bible readings, reflections and thought-provoking prompts
- Reflections from Bible Society writers, plus special guests: Dr Andrew Ollerton, Sarah Coppin, Andy Flannagan, Jesse Fellingham and more
- Holy week devotionals from Dai Woolridge, finding Jesus in the Psalms
- Exclusive access to our audio podcast, so you can listen on the go.
Forty days that could bring you closer to God
Bible Society’s 2026 Lent series introduces you to the world of the psalms. Discover how the ancient poets prayed, and how their writings connect with Good Friday and the empty tomb.
For our 2026 Lent devotional series, we’ll be journeying through the book of Psalms.
But why? Aren’t the 40 days of Lent leading up to Easter about something else? Aren’t they supposed to help us prepare inwardly for the memory of Christ’s crucifixion and the celebration of his return from the grave?
All fair questions. But consider this: prayer and reflection are central to Lent. We get the chance to exit the rat race for a few minutes a day and make time to open Scripture and pray. And what better way than to reach for the Bible’s prayer book?
That’s why we’re inviting you to journey through this emotive poetry collection this Lent, so you can connect the dots between the psalms and Jesus’ life, place this book within the wider story of Scripture, and see how these poems speak to your life today.
What makes the book of Psalms unique?
Some of the oldest psalms may be almost 3,000 years old. And there’s some great poetry here. In particular, the psalms that deal with anguish and turmoil recall the emotional candour and intensity we find in modern poetry.
After all, the book of Psalms covers the whole spectrum of human emotion – from turmoil to joy. The ancient Christian thinker Athanasius of Alexandria put it this way: ‘Under all the circumstances of life, we shall find that these divine songs suit ourselves and meet our own souls’ need at every turn’.
Or perhaps Christian theologian and author Eugene Peterson hit the nail on the head when he wrote: ‘The Psalms are not a textbook in which we study how others have prayed but a school in which we ourselves learn to pray’.
The psalms don’t tend to offer systematic theology. They speak in images. They don’t analyse but voice awe and wonder. They inspire worship of the God who goes beyond our understanding. They trace the journey from creation to God’s story with his people to the end of history.
But did you know that Jesus quotes from the book of Psalms more than any other part of the Old Testament? And during the Passover celebration, people recited psalms. Jesus may well have done the same during the Last Supper.
As we approach this season of reflection, we hope that our Lent devotionals will speak into the situations and issues that matter to you. We pray you can relate to them emotionally and draw closer to God during this season, seeing how the psalms connect to Jesus and key moments of Scripture.
Journey through the Psalms: what to expect from our 2026 Lent devotionals
- Week 1: Introduction to the book of Psalms: Starting on 18 February 2026, Ash Wednesday, the first week of the Lent Encounter introduces you to the psalms, exploring how this book has been used as prayer and worship for thousands of years.
- Week 2: Creation: The week on creation takes you through recurring themes in the psalms, such as the glory of nature and the intricacy of life, but also the reality of the Fall and its devastating impact on humanity. With it comes the need for redemption, bravely met by the Son of God on Calvary.
- Week 3: Grief: The psalmists not only praise God when life is good, but they call on him when they’re sinking in deep waters. This is a frequent symbol of distress that echoes the Israelites fleeing from slavery and Moses parting the sea. As we explore grief together, why not pray some of the psalms of lament and allow the voice of hurt and disappointment to be part of your conversation with God?
- Week 4: Justice: Our Lent devotionals on justice cover the cries in the book of Psalms for suffering and oppression to end. Could there be a more topical series of reflections as we look at the world around us? The psalms will prompt you to ask: how can I talk to God about justice today?
- Week 5: Forgiveness: Our Lent reflections on forgiveness take you to psalms about guilt and repentance, but also point to the core message of Good Friday and ask how we might receive forgiveness and forgive others.
- Week 6: Worship: The week of devotionals on worship in the book of Psalms draws on a wealth of material. Joy and awe are key elements of the believer’s life. Once we’ve been touched by God, praise and worship will follow.
- Week 7: Discover Jesus in the psalms: During Holy Week, we’ll pay particular attention to the psalms that implicitly speak about Jesus. Be ready to discover the messianic prophecies in the book of Psalms and learn how the early Church used them to make sense of Jesus.