What To Do During Lent

by Andrew Cromwell


Last week, on Feb. 2nd, the official Lent season began. It has become more and more popular to “give something up” for Lent, but many people are still unfamiliar with what exactly it is.


The Christian church began to recognize a special time of preparation leading up to Easter Sunday not long after Jesus was resurrected. Because Easter is the day we celebrate the greatest miracle in history — Christ raising from the dead — people began setting aside a few days to prepare themselves for worship on that day. By around 300 AD, that few days had turned into a 40-day season of fasting and prayer.


The period of 40 days is a very significant one in the Bible. A few examples include when Jesus was in the desert for 40 days, when the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, when the rains fell during Noah’s flood for 40 days and when the disciples waited for 40 days for the coming of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2, but there are many, many more. The number 40 in the Bible is always used to designate a time of preparation or cleansing followed by a new season.  


So Lent is supposed to be a period of 40 days that is set aside for preparation for a renewed season of God’s visitation. It really is a shame that for many, the Lent season is merely the excuse for Mardi Gras. The whole idea with Mardi Gras is that you are sinning as much as you can before you clean up and get right with God during Lent. But this misses the whole point.


Lent is an opportunity to consciously set aside a period of time in dedication to God. While it certainly is possible — and advisable — to do this at any time during the year, there really is something powerful about knowing that many millions of people are doing the same thing all across the world during Lent.


What should you do? Many are fasting regularly and taking the time that they would have normally taken to eat, to instead seek God in prayer. This is a wonderful practice because we are exercising self-control over our body while reminding ourselves that God is our true source of sustenance. Others are restricting their intake of media and entertainment, because these things have frequently become such a distraction that we neglect our relationship with God and even with our families. The point is to restrict yourself in an area for the purpose of training yourself to be more like Christ (see 1 Timothy 4:7).  


There are many wonderful daily prayer guides available during this season, but one recommendation is the excellent “Seek God for the City.” We have copies available through our office or you can visit www.waymakers.org or even download their app for your smartphone.


So what are you doing for Lent? Maybe nothing yet, but I would encourage you to start today. Remember, the whole point is to get closer to God, so don’t make the mistake of just starving yourself and not seeking him.