I am frequently asked: “What is Lent?” The season begins on Ash Wednesday and covers a period of approximately six weeks before Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is preparation through prayer, penance, repentance of sins, giving, atonement and self-denial. During Lent, many Christians commit to fasting or giving up certain luxuries as a form of penitence. We may also add a Lenten spiritual discipline, such as reading a daily devotional, to draw ourselves nearer to God.”

Jesus set the example for Lent: “Jesus was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry.” (Luke 4:1-2) Those forty days in the wilderness prepared Jesus for the critical days of ministry ahead.

Lent represents an opportunity to pause from the intensity of daily living and reflect on the meaning of Christ’s life, death and resurrection. Pausing in the midst of a hectic lifestyle is never easy. The following prayer by Robin Van Cleef describes some of the difficulties.

Lord, I sense my need of you; yet — I am not quite sure how to reach you.

I heard someone say, ‘Read your Bible.’
But too often the words are like bullets that ricochet off my brain.
I heard someone say, ‘Pray.’
But my prayers, hurled heaven ward, fall back to earth like lifeless stones.
I heard someone say, ‘Meditate.’
But my wandering mind was lost in a desert of random thoughts.

Alas, I share that struggle. I regularly devour the newspaper but struggle to read God’s Holy Word. I pray and sometimes wonder if anyone is listening? Slowing down to meditate seems unnatural amidst the busyness of a typical day. The temptation is to avoid pausing even for a few moments and move on.

Jesus himself was tempted to skip fasting and prayer. “The devil said, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.” But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone.” Then the devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. “I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them,” the devil said, “because they are mine to give to anyone I please. I will give it all to you if you will worship me.” – Luke 4:3-7

Listen to Jesus’ response. “The Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’ – Luke 4:8 Our willingness to pause from our hectic lifestyle to read Scripture, to pray and to meditate is part of our worship with God. Our willingness and desire to worship God can literally change our life.

The prayer of Robin Van Cleef offers guidance.

 Lord, speak to me through your Word. Let it penetrate my mind and my heart. 

Lord, speak to me through Prayer, and turn the lifeless stones to bread.
Lord, speak to me in my Meditation, that I may see, amid life’s wilderness:
The way, the truth and the life.

Spiritual growth seldom happens naturally but requires a conscious investment of time and energy. We pause to more fully appreciate the gift God provided for us through Jesus and the resurrection we know as Easter. There are many ways to pause in worship for our spiritual growth. You could join a Bible study, set aside time to read devotions, meditate on their significance and pray. The Bible offers guidance:

• Don’t be impatient for the Lord to act! Travel steadily along His path. He will honor you. (Ps38:34)
• Think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the special blessings. (1 Peter 2:13)
• One day soon afterward Jesus went to a mountain to pray and he prayed to God all night. At daybreak, He chose twelve disciples. (Luke 6:12)
• Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent. (Ephesians 6:18)

God teaches when we pause to worship: “Don’t be impatient. Travel steadily. Think clearly and exercise self-control. Pray first. Pray at all times. Stay alert and be persistent.”

God promises when we pause to worship: “I will honor you. Look forward to special blessings. I will help you make choices. I will provide power through the Holy Spirit.”

Lord, speak to me through your Word. Let it penetrate my mind and my heart.
Lord, speak to me through Prayer, and turn the lifeless stones to bread.
Lord, speak to me in my Meditation, that I may see, amid life’s wilderness:
The way, the truth and the life.

Why is taking this time so important? Because it was important to Jesus. Look what happened during his time of fasting and prayer. The devil tempted him three times to give up his mission. First with food, then with power and finally through Scripture. Each time, Jesus resisted. All of us will be tempted from time to time but it’s through the foundation of prayer that we find the help we need to resist.

“When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came. Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power. Reports about him spread quickly through the whole region.” (Luke 4:14) Jesus was strengthened for the mission and ministry ahead. You too will be strengthened during this time of spiritual preparation we call Lent.

Deepening your relationship with God requires an investment of time, patience and persistence but your investment will bear fruit. God promises: “I will honor you. Look forward to special blessings. I will help you make choices. I will provide power through the Holy Spirit.”