Lent is the period of 40 days that leads up to easter sunday - the remembrance of the crucifixion of Jesus and the celebration of his resurrection. OUR GOD HAS DEFEATED DEATH; MAY WE FIND THAT OUR HOPE IN HIM IS JUST as INDESTRUCTIBLE AS HIS PROMISES. Join us in engaging the king of kings through daily scripture and prayer, as well as a new teaching weekly.

Week 6

INTERCESSION

TEACHING

“Our Lord Jesus Christ has taught us to pray not only with others but also for others. The Apostle Paul has directed us to intercede always for all the saints with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.” - Matthew Henry (1710)

Intercession is the act of praying for someone else on their behalf. This could be for their blessing, protection, or a non-believer coming close to Christ. Praying for others is a true blessing because it takes the focus off of ourselves and our needs. This allows us to be more compassionate or empathetic. Intercessory prayer is transformative and collaborative. The greatest commandments in scripture include: loving God with our whole being, and loving our neighbor as ourself (Matthew 22:36-40). As we walk humbly with the Lord, we can exercise these commands in intercession. 

We know that while we are praying to the Father, the Holy Spirit is also speaking for us. He gives us the words to speak when we may be at a loss for them. 

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” (Romans 8:26-27)

The Spirit connects us to the heart of God and shows us what God desires, both for His people and for those who don’t know Him. Through the act of praying for others, God gives us the opportunity and ability to align with His will, His plans, and His motivations. As we pray in accordance with God’s heart, He will renew our minds. (Romans 12:1-2)

In Ephesians 6:18, we are commanded to keep in step with the Spirit in prayer, consistently and fervently. What a beautiful gift it is to speak with our God and ask for His power to be abundant in the lives of those around us. Ask the Lord for the conviction to pray continually for others. 

The Father’s character is rich in mercy, and He desires for everyone to come to a saving knowledge of His truth through His son. It is important to note that we ought to pray not for results, but for the ability that we have to connect with our Father in Heaven. 

There are endless amounts of requests we can speak with our Lord about. Not only does God desire for us to commune with Him in prayer, but also to saturate others in petition. 

Jesus is always demonstrating this level of commitment to pray on our behalf as well. The author of Hebrews writes, 

“Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25)

This means that at this moment, Jesus is praying for you, for me, and for His body (the church). Being members of Christ’s body means we are joined to the new covenant. God promised for generations upon generations that there would come a fulfillment to the sacrificial system and forgiveness of sins. 

It is no longer needed or beneficial for humans to offer imperfect sacrifices. Jesus, being fully human and fully God, is our great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16). God has done the work perfectly and is still interceding for us. 

God’s love and mercy are demonstrated in Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross, so we can know with full assurance that we can be in His presence as we trust in His finished work. Those who are not in the new covenant do not have access to confidence in going before God’s throne to receive grace. 

With this in mind, we should respond with boldness and joy as we pray.

Our savior is not apathetic, He is deeply caring. Let us model our prayer posture after Jesus. 

Dane Ortlund, pastor and author of Gentle and Lowly, states, “If you are in Christ, you have an intercessor, a present day mediator, one who is happily celebrating with His Father the abundant reason for both to introduce you to their deeper heart” (pg. 84-85) 

As believers, we must rejoice in the truth that because of Jesus’ work in His earthly ministry, sacrifice on the cross, and ultimate resurrection, we are reconciled to the Father and are given the ability to pray to Him and for others. 

Intercession is a beautiful practice that invites us to consider others above ourselves. We are given the gift to pray for God’s mission to protect others, comfort others, and save people for His glory. It is transformative for Christians to experience this spiritual discipline, and as we do so, we come aligned to the scripture laid out in Ephesians 6:18:

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”

Check out our incredible Lent playlist!

Daily Scripture & Prayer

  • April 7th, 2025 // day 1

    Romans 10

    Prayer:

    “Let the gospel of Christ be preached among all nations to all peoples. For how shall anyone believe in him if they have not heard? How shall they hear without preachers? How shall they preach unless they are sent? We pray for your sovereign help in the spread of the gospel, for who else can thrust forth labourers except you, the Lord of the harvest? Let the people who walk in darkness see a great light. Let light dawn on those who live in the regions of death’s gloomy shadow. Matt. 24:14; Rom. 10:14, 15; Matt. 9:38; Isa. 9:2; Matt. 4:16.”

  • April 8th 2025 // day 2

    John 12:20-31
    Prayer:

    “Gracious Lord, look with compassion on the world that lies under the control of the evil one. Cast out the prince of this world who has blinded the minds of people who do not believe. Make known your way of salvation throughout the earth, that all the nations may praise you. Let those that live without God and without hope in the world be transformed and enlisted in your service. Let all nations experience your power to save. Let them be glad and sing for joy, for you shall judge the peoples righteously as you govern the nations of the world. Clearly display your salvation and your righteousness before all nations. Let the ends of the earth witness the greatness of your salvation. 1 John 5:19; John 12:31; 2 Cor. 4:4; Psa. 67:2, 3; Eph. 2:12; Psa. 67:3, 4; 98:2, 3.”

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Week 5

Thanksgiving

TEACHING

About a year and a half ago, I was in a season of heavy financial stress as I joined Resonate’s staff team and was tasked with raising support to supplement my monthly salary. Despite feeling terrified of the unknown of this endeavor, I learned to vocalize my needs to the Lord vulnerably, surrendering to His might and trusting Him over uncertainty. This got me into a healthy rhythm of bringing my needs to the Lord often but led to forgetting to vocalize deep gratitude to Him due to my heart’s circumstantial anguish. Sharing this with a friend, I recall her asking me, “When was the last time you didn’t ask God for anything, rather expressed to Him just how thankful you are?”. This struck my heart in a way I won’t ever forget. Even when I walk through the darkest valleys, physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially, God is still worthy of my praise. Because of who Christ is, I will always have a reason to be thankful. 

When you think about giving thanks, you likely think of that one American holiday at the end of November centered around eating a turkey and pumpkin pie. John Piper defines prayers of thanksgiving as “ a feeling, an emotion and affection in the heart, that rises spontaneously in response to receiving something that will increase our enjoyment of Christ”. God delights in our thankfulness. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us, paying a debt that we could never pay ourselves, bringing us into right relationship with our Heavenly Father. If we are sinners, we are deserving of death. But God graciously gives us eternal life despite our sin. Romans 8:32 says, “He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all - how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?”. We have reason to praise! Not only should we be thankful for the blessings we experience here on earth, but eternal life and the means God uses to sanctify us into the image of His Son, Jesus. 

As believers, our thankfulness can’t just be the same as the world’s version. Our thankfulness isn’t transactional but rather spontaneously inspired by the reflection upon the character of Christ. There’s a difference between saying “thank you” and having a thankful heart. Spontaneous thankfulness comes from seeing the good in the thing you received or the person showing up for you. I experience spontaneous moments of gratitude for my parents when I reflect on the sacrifices they made to raise me, and my heart aches with thankfulness when reflecting on the depth of my sin and the sacrifice of Jesus to atone for it. John Piper also shares that Christian thankfulness “comes from Christ and leads to the enjoyment” of Him. If we know that all things are created for Him and through Him, we can trust that the things that are painful or uncomfortable are being used to transform us (Colossians 1:16). 

He works all things out for the good of those who love Him and for the utmost glory to be lavished upon Himself, because He deserves it (Romans 8:28). That kind of God is the source of our thankfulness, despite our circumstances. He is in control. He is gracious. He paid our debts. Friends, we have plenty of reasons to be thankful.

Check out our incredible Lent playlist!

Daily Scripture & Prayer

  • March 31st 2025 // day 1

    Ephesians 5:1-20

    Prayer:

    THANK you for demonstrating your mercy by causing your sun to shine on the evil and the good. You graciously send rain on the just and the unjust. We thank you for the arrival of every new day. We see with our own eyes that you have stretched out the heavens like a vast curtain where you have pitched a tent for the sun, which shines forth as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber and rejoices as a strong man to run a race. Matt. 5:45; Psa. 104:2; 19:4, 5.

    When we consider the heavens, the work of your fingers, the sun, the moon and the stars which you have ordained, we stand in awe that you have shown such care for us. For what is man that you should give any consideration of him? You bless us with the light of the sun that is a pleasant thing for our eyes.

  • April 1st 2025 // day 2

    Psalm 100
    Prayer:

    HOW overwhelmed with thankfulness we should be for the mystery of your wisdom by which you determined the way for man's redemption before time began. How wondrously did your kindness and love appear, O God our Saviour! For it was not by any works of righteousness that we have done, but by your mercy you saved us. We had destroyed ourselves, but in you and you alone was our help. When we were cast out in an open field and no eye pitied us, you saw us polluted in our own blood. Then you said to us, ‘Come alive!’ Indeed, you were the only one who could say to us, ‘Come alive!’ And that time was a time of love. 1 Cor. 2:7; Titus 3:4, 5; Hos. 13:9; Ezek. 16:5, 6, 8.

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Week 4

PETITION

TEACHING

I’ll be the first to admit that it is difficult to know what I need and ask for it. I fear being let down and disappointed yet again by people I love and, more importantly, by a God who I desperately want to believe is for me. There is a scary tension here: Will God respond to my petitions? Does He actually care about what I’m asking for? Are my needs silly? But what a beautiful place to be for the Lord to reveal His character. 

God is a promise keeper. He is a man of His word, so why wouldn’t we pray it back to Him? Why wouldn’t we make our appeal to Him through the words of scripture, while being humbled by the gap between what we truly need and what we think we need? In A Way To Pray, Matthew Henry says to “plead the promises of God as the supporting foundation for all of your petitions”, as we need Him first and foremost. 

To petition is to make a specific request to someone who can do something about the thing you’re bringing to light. Who else would we ask than the One who is sovereign over all? And what do we need first and foremost? The grace of God Himself. Matthew Henry goes on to share that we should “pray earnestly for the many things you constantly need from God’s gracious hand”, recognizing both His authority and our relationship with Him. 

So go before God, presenting your requests with a humble heart. Go before Him with your dreams, your desires, and your needs, and say them out loud. And as you do, ask that His will would be done, that you would be satisfied in Him primarily. Our relationship with our Heavenly Father isn’t transactional, but we must believe that He cares and that He’s already lavished His grace upon us through salvation. In Psalm 86, David says, “Hear me, Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy”, what an honest cry of a limited, desperate man - a man after God’s own heart, nonetheless. May we go to Him acknowledging our limitations and His power, free of a preconceived solution in mind, rather longing for His will to be done over our own. 

Check out our incredible Lent playlist!

Daily Scripture & Prayer

  • March 24th 2025 // day 1

    Psalm 86

    Prayer:

    In all our prayers for the good things we need from God, we must come boldly to His throne so that we may obtain a rich supply of grace to help us in every time of need. Gracious God, let us receive the full measure of the grace that is in Jesus Christ, the one in whom you were pleased that all fullness should dwell. From His abundance let us receive grace on top of grace that will prove to be more than enough for every situation we face in life. Heb. 4:16; Col. 1:19; John 1:16.

  • March 25th 2025 // day 2

    Phillippians 4:4-20
    Prayer:

    LORD, you have given us many exceedingly great and precious promises. They are all confirmed as ‘Yes’ and ‘Amen’ in Jesus Christ. Now let it happen to your servants exactly according to the word you have spoken. 2 Pet. 1:4; 2 Cor. 1:20; Luke 1:38

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Week 3

Confession

TEACHING

St. Alphonsus Liguori writes, “For a good confession, three are necessary: an examination of conscience, sorrow, and a determination to avoid sin.”

Confession is foundational to the Christian faith. Jesus calls us to “repent and believe, for the time is now and the kingdom of God is at hand” (Mark 1:15). We cannot repent if we do not confess. When I say confess, I do not mean a quick, meaningless sorry as we continue to sin. I mean confessing as St. Alphonsus Liquori wrote. 

Confession starts with bringing your sin into the light, bringing it before other brothers and sisters. Not only do we read in James an exhortation to “confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed” (James 5:16), but it is when we bring it to people that it feels real, and we can see for ourselves the power that sin holds. None.

When we bring our sin to others, we then can see the three things that make a good confession: 

  1. An examination of conscience

This is an invitation for God to reveal the specific areas of our life that need His forgiveness and healing. We see this in Isaiah 6: 

“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;

    the whole earth is full of his glory.”

4 At the sound of their voices, the doorposts and thresholds shook, and the temple was filled with smoke.

5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.””

Isaiah recognized who God is and in relation to his sin and how unclean he was before the Holy God. When we invite God to search and know us, we are asking in surrendered vulnerability to have our sins be exposed. When our sin is exposed, we find ourselves led by the Spirit at the throne of grace where Jesus sits, interceding on our behalf. 

2. Sorrow over our sin 

Sorrow “is an abhorrence at having committed the sin, a deep regret at having offended the heart of the Father.” (Foster, Celebration of Discipline). Though we experience grace and forgiveness, as that is the gospel's good news, that should not lead us to a calloused or apathetic heart over sin. It should increase our sorrow over our sins. If we know the One True God, then we should understand the weight of sin, as it was that very sin that nailed Jesus to the cross. We mourn what we’ve done and the cost of grace. 

3. Deteremination to avoid sin

The determination to avoid sin is willing and longing to emulate Jesus in His holiness and the wholehearted abandonment of unholy living. It is the turn from sorrow to incredulity of our sin. It is a “how dare I?!” moment, and it is the moment we turn away, running with faith that God is God and we can put our trust in His promise to sanctify us. 

Let us confess because when we do, we see how insignificant our sin is compared to the power of our Saviour, Jesus. 

Check out our incredible Lent playlist!

Daily Scripture & Prayer

  • March 17th 2025 // day 1

    James 5:7-20

    Prayer:

    O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for my iniquities have risen higher than my head, and my guilt has mounted up to the heavens. Ezra 9:6(ESV)

    To me belongs open shame, because I have sinned against you. Daniel 9:8(ESV)

    Behold I am of small account, what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth, Job 40:4(ESV) and put my mouth in the dust, for there may yet be hope, Lamentations 3:29(ESV) crying with the convicted leper under the law, “Unclean, unclean.” Leviticus 13:45(ESV)

    You put no trust in your holy ones, and the heavens are not pure in your sight. How much less one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks injustice like water! Job 15:15-16(ESV)

    When my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts, I have reason to cry out, “Woe is me, for I am lost!” Isaiah 6:5(ESV)

    If I claimed to be in the right, my own mouth would condemn me; if I said, “I am blameless,” you would prove me perverse; Job 9:20(ESV) for if you contend with me, I could not answer you once in a thousand times. Job 9:3(ESV)

    If I was not aware of anything against myself, yet I am not thereby acquitted, for he who judges me is the Lord, 1 Corinthians 4:4(ESV) who is greater than my heart and knows everything. 1 John 3:20(ESV) But I myself know that I have sinned, Father, against heaven and before you, and am no longer worthy to be called your child. Luke 15:21(ESV)

  • March 18th 2025 // day 2

    Galatians 5
    Prayer:

    I have been very guilty concerning my brother; Genesis 42:21(ESV) for I have not pursued what makes for peace or for mutual upbuilding. Romans 14:19(ESV)

    I have been ready to judge my brother and to despise him, forgetting that I must shortly stand before the judgment seat of God. Romans 14:10(ESV)

    Contrary to the royal law of love, I have boasted and been arrogant, have been rude and insisted on my own way; I have been irritable, have rejoiced at wrongdoing, 1 Corinthians 13:4-6(ESV) and been secretly glad at calamities. Proverbs 17:5(ESV)

    I have been conceited, provoking others, envying others, Galatians 5:26(ESV) when I should have considered how to stir up others to love and good works. Hebrews 10:24(ESV)

    My heart has been closed against those who are in need; 1 John 3:17(ESV) and I have hidden myself from my own flesh. Isaiah 58:7(ESV) Indeed, perhaps my eye has looked grudgingly on my poor brother, Deuteronomy 15:9(ESV) and I have dishonored the poor. James 2:6(ESV)

    And if in anything I have transgressed and wronged my brother, 1 Thessalonians 4:6(ESV) if I have walked with falsehood, and my foot has hastened to deceit, Job 31:5(ESV) and if any spot has stuck to my hands, Job 31:7(ESV) Lord, discover it to me, that if I have done iniquity, I may do it no more. Job 34:32(ESV)

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Week 2

Praise

TEACHING

Oftentime, we treat praise as an exclaimed thank you for God giving something that we ask. However, praise is much more and much deeper than that. 

Praise is the recognition that God is who He is. If this is true, we must recognize that there is always a reason to praise God. 

My husband and I have created a prayer calendar and have specific prayers for each day of the week. Tuesday is “Thankful Tuesday”. In that, we have learned how easy it is to ask God, but how unnatural we are at giving God thanks for all He is and all that He has done. The book of Lamentations is a book about songs and cries of anguish to God. In the middle of that book, we read in 3:19-24:

“I remember my affliction and my wandering,

    the bitterness and the gall.

 I will remember them,

    and my soul is downcast within me.

Yet this I call to mind

    and therefore I have hope:

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,

    for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

    great is your faithfulness.

I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;

    therefore I will wait for him.”

It is the knowledge of God and the practice of praise, thankfulness, and adoration that leads the author in the middle of anguish and heartache to praise God in a season of suffering. My husband and I, who do not exude such qualities or disciplines of praise, are being challenged to do so on Tuesdays. We sit there and thank God for who He is. Even when reality does not push us to shout a hallelujah, this week, we are reading scripture and prayers that build the spiritual muscles of praising God because He is worthy. Not worthy becuase of what He has given us but simply that He is God. 

Don’t half-heartedly praise God.  Let this season’s Lent scriptures and prayers from hundreds of years ago be a guide to help you shape your own praise and knowledge of God; leading you to a deeper worship and a discipline of adoring God for being God. 

Check out our incredible Lent playlist!

Daily Scripture & Prayer

  • March 10th 2025 // day 1

    Psalm 150

    Prayer:

    O LORD our God, you are very great! You are clothed with splendor and majesty, you cover yourself with light as with a garment; Psalm 104:1-2(ESV) and yet to us you make darkness your canopy, Psalm 18:11(ESV) for we cannot draw up our case because of darkness. Job 37:19(ESV)

    This is the message which we have heard of you, and we set our seal to it that it is true: God is light, and in him is no darkness at all; 1 John 1:5(ESV) God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 1 John 4:16(ESV)

    You are the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change, and from whom proceeds every good and perfect gift. James 1:17(ESV)

    You are the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see.1 Timothy 6:15-16(ESV)

  • March 11th 2025 // day 2

    Exodus 15:1-19

    Prayer:

    The heavens, even the heavens are yours, Psalm 115:16(ESV) and all their hosts. The earth is yours and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein. Psalm 24:1(ESV) In your hand are the depths of the earth, and the heights of the mountains are yours also: The sea is yours, for you made it, and your hands formed the dry land. Psalm 95:4-5(ESV) Every beast of the forest is yours, and the cattle on a thousand hills. Psalm 50:10(ESV) You are therefore a great God, and a great King above all gods. Psalm 95:3(ESV)

    In your hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind. Job 12:10(ESV)

    Your dominion is an everlasting dominion, and your kingdom endures from generation to generation: You do according to your will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay your hand or say to you, “What have you done?” Daniel 4:34-35(ESV) or “Why have you done that?”

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Week 1

Intro to Lent

TEACHING

Lent may seem to the Christian person a works-based model passed down from generation to generation in the Catholic Church. I grew up in a pretty secular home; church and religion were not spoken of often, if ever. Easter was about jello molds, ham, and Easter baskets from a peculiar bunny that came in the night.  I remember my neighbors were Catholic, though, and they celebrated Lent. They had a little girl I played with often and spent much time in their home, and from my keen little girl mind, I deduced that Lent was simply a holiday made for never eating candy except on Fridays. 

Now, as an adult, I recognize how unkeen my mind was at the ripe age of seven or eight. However, as I heard the gospel and learned more about Lent, I realized that it is not just a works-based effort or a way to trick kids into eating less candy. 

The 40 days of Lent and the fasting liturgy that comes with it have an intentional purpose. It wasn’t made up arbitrarily but taken from the very life of Jesus Himself, as we see in Matthew 4:1-11:

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,

    and they will lift you up in their hands,

    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”

7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.”

11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Fasting is giving up something good for something better. Fasting is used to pray for something hard or big, or it is a time of remembrance of who God is. In his book Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster writes about fasting:

“Fasting reminds us that we are sustained ‘by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God’ (Matthew 4:4). Food does not sustain us; God sustains us. In Christ, ‘All things hold together’ (Colossians 6:12). Our human cravings and desires are like rivers that tend to overflow their banks; fasting helps keep them in their proper channels.”

This world loves to lead us down roads of dead hope. Hope that is not eternal, not steadfast, constantly changing. In His fasting time, Jesus remembers the Hope the Father has already promised and He is about to bring into the world. When we look at the story of Jesus fasting, we see three ways Jesus’s hope sustains Him:

He remembers who the sustainer is 

“Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word of God” (Matt 4:4). 

 Jesus knows who the bread of life is and who the one who provides it is. The Father knows that bread (actual or metaphorical) is fleeting, and we hunger again. But Jesus promises that we will never hunger or thirst again. When we eat the bread of life, we are full eternally. When we remember He is the one who sustains us, it is peace in our stomachs. It is the fullness of joy. We take the next 40 days to remember that fullness, even if we are walking through the valley of the shadow of death. 

He remembers who is the authority. 

“It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test” (Matt 4:7)

We fast to the authority that can do something. We fast for our friends, families, and the lost world around us. We go before the Father, the very God who holds the world in His hands, to change some things. When we fast, we communicate to God that this thing we pray for is worth more than food. Jesus knows that, and when He is tempted while fasting, He doesn’t forget who actually holds authority—and it is most definitely not the devil. 

He remembers who is worthy of all worship. 

“Jesus said to him, ‘Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only” (Matt 4:10). 

The world does not deserve worship. Our friends do not deserve worship. Indeed, the devil does not deserve worship. So why should our bellies? Why do we let the hunger of our flesh lead us to the dead idols they always lead us to? The Spirit produces self-control, and that self-control should lead us to worship the One True God and Him alone. When we fast and hunger, let it not be a hunger for bread alone, but a life filled with worship and leveraged to give Him more and more. 

As you prepare for Lent this year, pick something to fast from that would challenge you. Challenge you to remember the one who sustains, who has authority, and who in all manner is worthy of all worship. Do not cling to hopes that crumble but to an indestructible hope in Christ.

TEACHING

Lent may seem to the Christian person a works-based model passed down from generation to generation in the Catholic Church. I grew up in a pretty secular home; church and religion were not spoken of often, if ever. Easter was about jello molds, ham, and Easter baskets from a peculiar bunny that came in the night.  I remember my neighbors were Catholic, though, and they celebrated Lent. They had a little girl I played with often and spent much time in their home, and from my keen little girl mind, I deduced that Lent was simply a holiday made for never eating candy except on Fridays. 

Now, as an adult, I recognize how unkeen my mind was at the ripe age of seven or eight. However, as I heard the gospel and learned more about Lent, I realized that it is not just a works-based effort or a way to trick kids into eating less candy. 

The 40 days of Lent and the fasting liturgy that comes with it have an intentional purpose. It wasn’t made up arbitrarily but taken from the very life of Jesus Himself, as we see in Matthew 4:1-11:

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,

    and they will lift you up in their hands,

    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”

7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.”

11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Fasting is giving up something good for something better. Fasting is used to pray for something hard or big, or it is a time of remembrance of who God is. In his book Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster writes about fasting:

“Fasting reminds us that we are sustained ‘by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God’ (Matthew 4:4). Food does not sustain us; God sustains us. In Christ, ‘All things hold together’ (Colossians 6:12). Our human cravings and desires are like rivers that tend to overflow their banks; fasting helps keep them in their proper channels.”

This world loves to lead us down roads of dead hope. Hope that is not eternal, not steadfast, constantly changing. In His fasting time, Jesus remembers the Hope the Father has already promised and He is about to bring into the world. When we look at the story of Jesus fasting, we see three ways Jesus’s hope sustains Him:

He remembers who the sustainer is 

“Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word of God” (Matt 4:4). 

 Jesus knows who the bread of life is and who the one who provides it is. The Father knows that bread (actual or metaphorical) is fleeting, and we hunger again. But Jesus promises that we will never hunger or thirst again. When we eat the bread of life, we are full eternally. When we remember He is the one who sustains us, it is peace in our stomachs. It is the fullness of joy. We take the next 40 days to remember that fullness, even if we are walking through the valley of the shadow of death. 

He remembers who is the authority. 

“It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test” (Matt 4:7)

We fast to the authority that can do something. We fast for our friends, families, and the lost world around us. We go before the Father, the very God who holds the world in His hands, to change some things. When we fast, we communicate to God that this thing we pray for is worth more than food. Jesus knows that, and when He is tempted while fasting, He doesn’t forget who actually holds authority—and it is most definitely not the devil. 

He remembers who is worthy of all worship. 

“Jesus said to him, ‘Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only” (Matt 4:10). 

The world does not deserve worship. Our friends do not deserve worship. Indeed, the devil does not deserve worship. So why should our bellies? Why do we let the hunger of our flesh lead us to the dead idols they always lead us to? The Spirit produces self-control, and that self-control should lead us to worship the One True God and Him alone. When we fast and hunger, let it not be a hunger for bread alone, but a life filled with worship and leveraged to give Him more and more. 

As you prepare for Lent this year, pick something to fast from that would challenge you. Challenge you to remember the one who sustains, who has authority, and who in all manner is worthy of all worship. Do not cling to hopes that crumble but to an indestructible hope in Christ.

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Daily Scripture & Prayer

  • March 5th 2025 // day 1

    1 Corinthians 15

    Prayer:

    We do not present our plea before you because of our righteousness, Daniel 9:18(ESV) for we are before you in our guilt, Ezra 9:15(ESV) and cannot stand before you because of it; Psalm 130:3(ESV) but we make mention of Christ’s righteousness, even of his only, who is the LORD our righteousness. Jeremiah 23:6(ESV)

    We know that even spiritual sacrifices are acceptable to God only through Christ Jesus, 1 Peter 2:5(ESV) nor can we hope to receive anything but what we ask of you in his name; John 16:23(ESV) and therefore, bless us in the Beloved, Ephesians 1:6(ESV) that other angel who put much incense to the prayers of the saints and offers them up on the golden altar before the throne. Revelation 8:3(ESV)

    We come in the name of the great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, who is able to sympathize with our weaknesses, Hebrews 4:14-15(ESV) and is therefore able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:25(ESV)

    Behold, O God, our shield, and look on the face of your Anointed, Psalm 84:9(ESV) in whom you have by a voice from heaven declared yourself to be well pleased; Lord, be well pleased with us in him. Matthew 3:17(ESV)

  • March 6th 2025 // day 2

    2 Corinthians 4:7-18

    Prayer:

    Lord, qualify us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light; Colossians 1:12(ESV) let God himself prepare us for this very thing, and give us the Spirit as a guarantee in our hearts. 2 Corinthians 5:5(ESV)

    O that we may know that our citizenship is in heaven, and that from there, with comfort, we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus, who shall transform our lowly bodies to be like his glorious body. Philippians 3:20-21(ESV)

    O that we may set our minds on things that are above, and that our life may be hidden with Christ in God; that when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, we also may appear with him in glory; Colossians 3:2-4(ESV) that when he shall appear, we may be like him, may see him as he is, 1 John 3:2(ESV) may behold his face in righteousness, and when we awake, may be satisfied with his likeness. Psalm 17:15(ESV)

    When we fail, let us be received into the eternal dwellings, Luke 16:9(ESV) in the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God; Hebrews 11:10(ESV) that we may always be together with the Lord, 1 Thessalonians 4:17(ESV) to see as we are seen and know as we have been fully known; 1 Corinthians 13:12(ESV) and, in the meantime, help us to encourage ourselves and one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:18(ESV) And hoping in Christ, may we purify ourselves as he is pure. 1 John 3:3(ESV)

    And now, may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort our hearts and establish them in every good work and word. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17(ESV)

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