Beloved—
Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent and occurs 46 days (40 days not counting Sundays) before Easter. It falls on a different date each year because it is dependent on the date of Easter. It can occur as early as February 4 or as late as March 10.
The purpose of Lent (recalling Jesus’ 40-day fast in the wilderness) is to be a season of fasting, self-denial, prayer, scripture reading, penitence, conversion, and simplicity. Lent, which comes from the Teutonic (Germanic) word for springtime, can be viewed as a spiritual spring cleaning: a time for taking spiritual inventory and then cleaning out those things which hinder our corporate and personal relationships with Jesus Christ and our service to him.
Prayer: Lent is a good time to develop or strengthen a discipline of daily prayer. A good goal for Lent would be to praise God in prayer morning and evening daily. Praise and thanksgiving first and requests second.
Scripture Reading: When facing temptation in the desert, Jesus relied on Scripture to counter the wiles of the devil. It is a formidable weapon for us as well.
A good scripture to start is:
1 I bless God every chance I get; my lungs expand with his praise. 2 I live and breathe God; if things aren’t going well, hear this and be happy: 3 Join me in spreading the news; together let’s get the word out. 4 God met me more than halfway; he freed me from my anxious fears. 5 Look at him; give him your warmest smile. Never hide your feelings from him. 6 When I was desperate, I called out, and God got me out of a tight spot. 7 God’s angel sets up a circle of protection around us while we pray. 8 Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see— how good God is. Blessed are you who run to him. 9 Worship God if you want the best; worship opens doors to all his goodness. 10 Young lions on the prowl get hungry, but God-seekers are full of God. 11 Come, children, listen closely; I’ll give you a lesson in God worship. 12 Who out there has a lust for life? Can’t wait each day to come upon beauty? 13 Guard your tongue from profanity, and no more lying through your teeth. 14 Turn your back on sin; do something good. Embrace peace—don’t let it get away! 15 God keeps an eye on his friends; his ears pick up every moan and groan. 16 God won’t put up with rebels; he’ll cull them from the pack. 17 Is anyone crying for help? God is listening, ready to rescue you. 18 If your heart is broken, you’ll find God right there; if you’re kicked in the gut, he’ll help you catch your breath. 19 Disciples so often get into trouble; still, God is there every time. 20 He’s your bodyguard, shielding every bone; not even a finger gets broken. 21 The wicked commit slow suicide; they waste their lives hating the good. 22 God pays for each slave’s freedom; no one who runs to him loses out. Psm 34 the Message
Pray that we can be diligent in our “spring cleaning process.” I’m praying for you morning, noon and night for the next 46 days.
Luv Ya!
MaggieBelle 