Lent Guide Lent is a season of slowing down, creating space, and taking up spiritual practices; not to give us merit or favor with God, but to place ourselves in the position to receive more of God: his grace, his mercy, himself. We as a church community will be journeying through the Gospel of John, specifically looking at Jesus’s claims about himself, and we must ask: “How is Jesus revealing himself to me,” and “Will I receive and believe him in this way?” The apostle John urges us in John 1:12: “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” This call to receive and believe never ceases, rather there is always more to receive, more opportunity for greater depth
of belief as we pursue our God in a loving relationship that has no end. As A.W. Tozer said,
“To have found God and still pursue him is the soul’s paradox of love.” Each week we will be looking at one of Jesus’s claims, pairing it with a spiritual practice and prayer. There will be multiple ways shared on how to incorporate the spiritual practice each week. But once again, Lent is a season of slowing down. The goal is not to get through all the practices and focus on them, but to use them as a tool to help us slow down and fix our eyes on Jesus. The practices are not a goal in themselves, but a means to find freedom to pursue God.
May our love for God be what drives us to him, and a greater intimacy and love toward him be what comes out of this Lenten season.
Join us in pursuing more of our God. Our prayer is this guide will lead you into a deeper relationship with Jesus as your Lord and Savior, that it will encourage you to try creative and new spiritual practices (at your own pace), and that it will edify every individual, ultimately edifying the Body of Christ here at HP Pres and beyond.
February 17–20
Week One February 21–27
Week Two February 28–March 6
Week Three March 7–13
Week Four March 14–20
Week Five March 21–27
Week Six March 28–April 4
Week Seven
“My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore, I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” J O B 42:5–6
WEEK ONE
February 17–20
WEEK ONE CONFESSION
Ash Wednesday As we draw towards God, creatures coming before their Creator, it is a humbling experience. As we see more of God, we in turn see more of ourselves as we truly are. As Job declared, “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore, I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” If God were to come to you now, what would you do, how would you feel, what would you say? John 1:10–12 describes three scenarios: a world too caught up in their sin, a people too spiritually prideful to admit their sin, and then those who are willing to receive and believe Jesus because they desire his salvation.
Tim Keller says, “The Gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.� Confession is the first step to seeing the gravity of our sin met by the love of our Savior. When we confess, we experience firsthand the reality of the Gospel, of what Jesus accomplished in his death and resurrection for us personally, as we apply his forgiveness and cleansing to our own sins. Every time we confess, it is an opportunity for this Gospel to sink deeper and deeper into our hearts, which is why we begin Lent with Ash Wednesday, a day of confession and repentance.
Prayer Father, as I come before you, I am reminded of your majesty, your power, your perfect holiness. And because of your great love and mercy, you call someone like me to boldly approach your throne of grace. So Lord I come before you with my confessions, admitting I can do no better on my own. Lord, I come before you as one who needs your rescue, your salvation, your forgiveness. I need your continual upholding, your intercession, your sanctification. I come confessing, believing your words of forgiveness and mercy, and I ask “search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.� Psalm 139
Spiritual Practice C ON F E S S I ON Spend time in self-examination, asking God to reveal what in your heart needs to be handed over to him. After some things come to mind, sit with them and reflect how they grieve God’s heart and allow it to grieve your own heart. With the desire to surrender it all to Christ, allow his words of grace and forgiveness to meet you in your need for sanctification and rescue. Write down a verse that speaks to you of God’s forgiveness or use one of these verses: Psalm 103:12; Psalm 68:19-20; Isaiah 43:1; John 3:16; 1 John 1:9
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” J O H N 6:35
WEEK TWO
February 21–27
WEEK TWO FASTING
The Bread of Life John 6:25–59
Jesus told his disciples, and he tells us today, “I am the bread of life.” Why? Because he fills us, he nourishes us, and he is enough, even in our deepest needs and desires. In fact, he is the answer to all our deepest needs and desires. The season of Lent is meant to discover, or rediscover, this truth that Jesus is enough. One way of revealing Jesus’s sufficiency is through fasting. The word “fasting” has become common in the secular world for vanity reasons, but the kind of fasting Christians are called to is one of clearing space so we can fix our eyes on Jesus.
No matter the way we fast, our primary goal is Jesus, to worship him, glorify him, and meet with him. Secondary benefits may include realizing what controls our hearts, bringing balance to our lives, helping us enter into deeper prayer, and more, but we must not place those blessings above the Blesser. Whether it’s food, TV, social media, or anything else our lives tend to revolve around, let us fast with our hearts and affections toward Jesus, the Bread of Life.
Prayer Father, you tell me, “Seek and you shall find.” Lord, I seek you now as I lay down my ways and routines, as I lay down my rights and desires, to seek your face and will. Lord, meet me where I am, no matter my ability to fast or seek you, meet me and show me your sufficiency.
And Lord, give me the grace to enter into a place of receiving your goodness and steadfast love and faithfulness. May I be changed by the encounters I have with you this week as I feast on you, the bread of life. Amen.
Spiritual Practice FA S T I N G There are many ways to fast, different extremes, but the important part is our reasoning. God is not grading our intensity but wants our hearts in the right place. So, as you make a plan for the week, here are some questions we may ask ourselves throughout the week: • What is something I go to for satisfaction, safety, love, purpose, or significance?
• How will I fast from this very thing? (the more defined, the better. ie. I will limit Netflix to one episode per day, I will not allow myself to shop online, I will wait one hour longer before I eat lunch, etc) • Write down some Scripture that can help you through the process. • What do my desires reveal about me? • What is Jesus teaching me during this time? • What is Jesus asking of me?
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” J O H N 6:35
WEEK THREE
February 28–March 6
WEEK THREE MEDITATION
The Light of the World John 8:12–30
Jesus’s claim to be the light of the world means he is the source of all truth. Our world is filled with false messages, and the only way to be anchored in truth is by going to the source himself, to him who speaks to us through his written Word, the Bible. Hebrews 4:12 tells us, “The word of God is living and active, sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing the division of the soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” When we enter into God’s Word, God Himself wants to enter into our inner sanctuary to speak to us, shape us, and transform our
hearts and lives. Richard Foster states, “It boldly calls us to enter into the living presence of God for ourselves.” Read that again! Meditating on God’s Word is as simple as hearing and obeying God, yet it is also powerful enough to help us encounter God and be transformed by him.
Prayer Thank you, Lord, for the gift of your Word. As I enter in, would you speak to me and reveal to me more of yourself, your wisdom, your power, your beauty, and your love. Holy Spirit, illuminate my mind to understand and hear clearly what you want to say to me today. Please open my heart to receive your truth, and prepare my hands to faithfully apply it to my life. In Jesus’s Name, Amen.
Spiritual Practice M E D I TAT I O N Some tips for meditation: • Find a quiet place and pray for illumination from the Holy Spirit. he will not lead you astray. • Be ready to listen and obey because God wants to communicate with us and shape our lives. • Enter in. Don’t know where to start? Use the Bible in One Year app, start with one of the Gospels, or sit with John 8:12–30 the entire week. Meditation is not so much about studying Scripture, but internalizing it, igniting the senses, the emotions, the imagination. Let Scripture sink deep within.
Further meditation practices: Centering Down Take thoughts and anxieties captive to God and release them by facing palms down. Then as a symbol of receiving, face palms up and try to quiet your mind. Allow God to speak. You might hear something, sense something, or be in complete silence, but no matter what, the Lord is there wanting to commune and speak with you. Let this be a time to surrender to him and trust he is working. Creation Let God reveal his majesty and power in creation. Look at nature’s beauty, the creatures crawling on the ground, the birds singing in the trees. He is teaching us all the time if we will quiet ourselves and listen.
Events Take time to meditate upon the events happening in our world. Keep Scripture at hand and ask God to allow you to perceive more deeply what is going on and ask for guidance to know how to live.
“My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore, I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” J O B 42:5–6
WEEK FOUR
March 7–13
WEEK FOUR PRAYER
The Door John 10:1–18
Jesus says, “I am the door,” telling us that it is through him that we find salvation, refuge, and access to God. In the Gospel of John, Jesus was saying this to a crowd of Pharisees who wanted to be their own door to God, who wanted to reach God by their own selfsufficiency. But, access to God comes through Jesus and Jesus alone. All we need to do is kneel in humility and enter the door through prayer. The beautiful thing about prayer is that it is available at any time, any place, and to anyone who calls on the Lord. And the Word tells us God never slumbers but is always watching, always listening.
The time we put towards prayer and how we pray is a direct correlation to how we see God and believe in His power to work. E.M. Bounds wrote, “The holier a man is, the more does he estimate prayer; the clearer does he see that God gives himself to the praying ones, and that the measure of God’s revelation to the soul is the measure of the soul’s longing, importunate prayer for God.” We have full access to God through prayer. May we take Him up on it and experience a deeper revelation and sense of the power of prayer.
Prayer Father, I confess I do not come to you as often as I should or need to. I confess I tend to lean on my own power and understanding before coming to you for guidance and answers. But I come to you
now, desiring to sit under your gaze, to be renewed by your Holy Spirit, and to have my affections stirred toward you. May my heart be changed in this very encounter, may my faith be ignited because of your great power, and may my dependence upon you deepen ever more. Amen.
Spiritual Practice P R AY E R There are many different ways to pray, but in the end, it is all about having a conversation with God where we both talk and listen. Some ways to practice this week could include: Intercessory Prayer Pray for leaders, nation, those who are ill, those who are suffering
“Flash Prayers” Send up a quick prayer for the people you come across in the course of the day Prayer Simultaneous with Work God is always present, so talk to him and bring him in on the big and small tasks throughout your day. Centering Prayer Read a passage of Scripture until a word or phrase stands out. Then for 5–10 minutes sit in the quiet, waiting on the Lord. If your mind wanders, repeat the word or phrase you found in the passage to recenter.