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Lent has arrived, and with it comes a beautiful invitation to pause, remember the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and to prepare our hearts to celebrate His resurrection.
It is only because of Jesus’ amazing sacrifice on the cross that we have eternal life and there is absolutely no greater love or gift than this.
Romans 5:8 says:
But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
During this time of Lent, please remember that this is about preparing our hearts for this amazing gift our Lord has given us and it is not about our perfection.
The heart of Lent is drawing closer to God — something we’re invited to pursue every single day, not just once a year. Any step you take, no matter how small it may feel, brings you closer to Him. God sees the motives of your heart.
What is Lent?
Lent is a 40-day season that is set aside for reflection, repentance and preparing our hearts to remember the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. This season begins on Ash Wednesday and leads up to Easter Sunday.
During this time of Lent, many Christians choose practices such as fasting, giving and/or reflection to draw closer to the Lord.
This isn’t to earn God’s love, or to make Him love us more-He already love us more than we can ever imagine. This is a way for us to make intentional space to draw closer to Him.
The season of Lent invites us to slow down, reflect, examine our hearts and remember the incredible sacrifice Jesus made for us. It’s about focusing on God and drawing closer to Him in everyday life.
Preparing our hearts is so very important because it helps us turn our attention back to the Lord.
Life can pull us in so many different directions every day and without being intentional, our spiritual focus can drift. We can be consumed with the things of the world and all the busyness that life can bring. I don’t know about you but when my spiritual focus drifts, I tend to worry a lot about things that I should instead bring directly to the Lord and surrender to Him.
When we pause to reflect, pray and create an intentional space to be with the Lord, we strengthen our relationship with Him and create room to hear God speak to us.
Heart preparation isn’t about doing something impressive- it’s about being more aware of the One who already love us more than we can ever imagine and creating room to be in His presence.
Even small, quiet steps- like a moment of prayer, surrender, or choosing Scripture over distraction can open our hearts to God’s presence.
Here are some simple ways to prepare your heart this Lent season.
Simple Ways to Prepare Your Heart
1. Start with a Daily Prayer
Prayer is the best way to start your morning with God because it allows you to communicate with Him directly. Prayer is an open line of communication and allows you to deepen your relationship with Him.
Jesus Himself woke up early in the morning and found a quiet place to pray (Mark 1:35), showing us the importance of spending time with God in prayer first thing in the morning.
When you pray, give thanks to God for all He has given you and share your worries as well as plans for the day ahead. God wants to be involved in our lives and wants us to seek Him.
Jesus says in Matthew 7:7
Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be open to you (KJV)
This verse reminds us of God’s promise that whoever seek Him and His guidance will find what they need.
During prayer you can also ask him for wisdom as the Bible promises that If any of you lack wisdom, you should ask God, who gives it generously to all without finding fault and it will be given to you (James 1:5 NIV)
During this time of Lent, pray to ask God to help you encounter Him and to help you seek Him more intentionally.
Also use this time of prayer and repent for your sins. To repent means to turn away from- a deep change of heart, mind and direction. So, as you’re seeking God, ask him to show you anything in your heart that is pulling you away from him and then turn from it and focus back on God. Perhaps it’s a sin that you’ve been struggling with or unforgiveness of some kind. God knows us better than we even know ourselves and He will reveal to you what you need to surrender to Him.
Jesus truly paid it all and all to Him we owe- so let’s be intentional in our relationship with Him and make time for Him in our life.
2. Choose One Small Thing to Give Up
Whether it be fasting or giving up something else, the idea is to be intentional and make room for God.
Some people choose to give up a meal or a certain type of food during Lent and others may decide to give up other things.
If you decide to fast, make sure you do not have any medical contraindications before doing so– this is the registered nurse in me needing to educate. It’s important to ensure your health safety and get clearance from your healthcare provider if you have any chronic illnesses. Some people have medical conditions that make fasting unwise, and that’s okay. Caring for your health is honoring to God too.
Some other things you can give up during Lent can include social media, complaining, sleeping in late, etc. Whatever is something you personally struggle with can be something you can give to the Lord to help you draw closer to Him.
I know for me, especially lately, I have been spending too much time on social media, especially Facebook just scrolling through. Anyone else seem to have that same problem?
It occurred to me the other day that I need to replace my doom-scrolling with something much more productive, something that can bring me to closer to God. Instead of scrolling through Facebook, I’ve decided to be more intentional and read a chapter of the Bible on my phone- which also has a scrolling effect.
I currently use a Kindle for my Bible reading and the Kindle app feature on my phone syncs with the Kindle, so I can read even when I’m on the go with my phone and it will sync to my Kindle when I read at home.
I’ve also decided to work on my Christian blog more during this time and instead of spending my time on Facebook, I can also use these moments to brainstorm ideas, create blog posts and design Pinterest pins to help others grow in their walk with God. I hope all my blog posts are helpful to you, and if they are, feel free to send me an email to let me know. I would love to hear from you!
The focus with giving something to God is to make room for Him and replace that time you would be doing something else and instead being intentional and spending this time with your Savior.
If you’re looking for a simple way to stay organized and intentional during Lent, here’s a quick look at the digital planner I use. It’s designed to help you stay focused, prayerful, and centered on God throughout your day.
3. Add a Scripture Habit
Starting your day with God’s Word is like setting your compass for the day. By soaking in Scripture, you’re able to renew your mind and guide your steps.
Psalm 119:105 reminds us that
Your Word is a lamp for my feet, a light unto my path (NIV)
God’s Word is filled full of promises and guidance that equips us to face challenges that we encounter daily with His wisdom and strength.
Set aside time each morning to read and study God’s Word.
Even if you only have a few minutes in the mornings, starting your day with God’s Word will improve your mindset and draw you closer to Him.
I know for me, I can tell a difference in my mood when I read the Bible before I start my day and when I don’t. I always feel so much better and feel closer to the Lord when I make time for Him in the mornings.
I’ve never been a morning person so waking up early before everyone else is a difficult task for me. However, this is something that I hope to work on and I have come to ask God for help.
There have been so many nights when I’ve prayed, ‘Lord, please help me wake up early so I can spend time with You.’ And truly, sometimes I need that divine intervention. More times than I can count, I’ve woken up minutes before my alarm, as if He gently nudged me awake.
God hears our prayers and wants to spend time with us as well.
Even if you can read only one verse in the mornings, or have 5 minutes, you can take one verse and meditate on it throughout the day.
The free Bible app YouVersion has a verse of the day and is a wonderful resource app for your phone. Additionally, there are many devotionals that you can get where it has a daily verse and reflections as well.
Additionally, Through The Word has an audio guide for every chapter of the Bible, and this is also a free app that you can start using to develop a Bible reading habit. This is by far one of my favorite resources!
You can read more of my blog posts below for more Bible tools for study as well as more information on how to start your mornings with God. Additionally, sign up here to get my free Bible Study Digital Journal to take notes while you’re studying the Bible.
Read more | Bible Tools for Study
Read more | How to Start Your Mornings with God
rEAD mORE | fREE bIBLE sTUDY dIGITAL jOURNAL + tIPS FOR rEADING AND stUDYING
Also, this One Minute with God Calendar is a great resource to start your day with a Bible verse. It also includes a short reflection as well. Check this out on Amazon.
4. Begin a Simple Gratitude Jar or Prayer Jar
It’s important each day to always be grateful and give thanks to God for all He has given us. God is good all the time, and is always actively present in our life, helping us in ways that we don’t always see.
Each day during Lent, write one thing that you are grateful for and put it in a jar.
By writing down a thanksgiving every day, we are being intentional and focusing on how God’s hand is working in our life and thanking Him for all He has done.
On Easter, pull out all your thanksgivings and read it.
Additionally, you can create a prayer jar as well.
A prayer jar is a physical reminder to bring your heart and your worries to the Lord. You write down your prayers, needs and worries on a piece of paper and put them in a jar.
This becomes a visual record of God’s faithfulness and a gentle way to release burdens into His hands.
When you create both a prayer and gratitude jar, once a prayer has been answered, you can add it to the gratitude jar as well.
5. Ask God what He Wants to Shape in You
Take this time during Lent for prayer and ask God what He wants you to surrender this season.
Nobody knows us better than God- not even ourselves.
God is always speaking to us and wants to be involved in the details of lives- we just need to quiet our minds and listen for that still, small voice.
As an addition, you can use a prayer journal that includes verses with reflections and journaling prompts to guide you in your walk with God. You can start each day with this as well. Check out this prayer journal on Amazon below.
6. Listen to Worship Music
Listening to and/or singing worship music is a powerful way to praise and glorify God.
Singing and listening to songs that praise God can help remind you of His faithfulness and keep your focus on Him.
Take this time during Lent and listen to worship music.
Create a playlist of some favorite Christian worship songs and play it on your commute, while cooking, cleaning, or even when walking your dog.
Some of my favorite songs that I currently have in my playlist are the following:
- Casting Crowns- Nobody
- Mercy Me- In Christ Alone
- Mercy Me- Greater
- Mercy Me- Flawless
- Mercy Me- Shake
- Mercy Me- I Can Only Imagine
- Mercy Me- Move
- Worship Circle- Jesus Paid it All
- Hillsong Worship- King of Kings
- CeCe Winans- Goodness of God
- Olivia Lane- Songs About Jesus
- Olivia Lane- Whereever You Are
- Olivia Lane- Woman at the Well
- Leanna Crawford- How Can You Not
- Darlene Zschech- Shout to the Lord
7. Volunteer and/or Give
Use this time during Lent to give back to your community either with donations and/or time. As Christians, we are called to help one another and build each other up.
Galatians 6:2 tells us:
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (NIV)
Volunteering is also a wonderful time to spread the gospel and the Good News of Christ. Jesus says in Mark 16:15 to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” As you’re volunteering, you can help guide others to Jesus and share His love.
Encouragement for Any One Who is Busy
Remember that God meets us where we are.
He understands if you are a busy Mom who only have a few minutes in the morning or late in the evening.
Lent isn’t about performance but about presence- God care about our heart posture and about being intentional in our relationship with Him. Even small moments here and there honor God when it’s done with a sincere heart.
One thing that has helped me when being busy is to just keep praying throughout the day. Not just in the mornings or before bed, but frequently throughout the day. Regularly praying to God and including Him throughout my day has helped me keep Him closer and helped me feel His presence.
Additionally, having the Kindle app on my phone so I can read the next chapter of the Bible in whatever spare moments I have throughout the day significantly helps me as well. If you do not have a Kindle, you can achieve the same with the YouVersion Bible app for free. Additionally, there’s Through The Word, a free app as well to listen to an audio guide of the Bible. You should check it out.
Closing
I encourage you to take at least one small step during this Lent season to draw closer to the Lord. Our journey of faith is ongoing and our relationship with the Lord should strengthen daily.
Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross is such an amazing gift, and it is because of His sacrifice that we are able to be reconciled with the Father and have everlasting life.
Jesus truly paid it all and all to Him we owe- so let’s be intentional in our relationship with Him and make time for Him in our life.