Lent is a 40 day period of fasting leading up to Easter. Lent begins on Wednesday, March 5, 2025 and ends on Thursday, April 17, 2025. Fasting takes place Monday – Saturday, but not on Sundays. During this time of reflection, we pray, read the scriptures, and seek a closer connection with God. We fast to examine our hearts and our relationship with God so that we can remove those things that would separate us from Him.
In the Old Testament God commanded his people to fast (afflict their souls) during a time of consecration and reflection prior to confessing their sins and receiving atonement.
“This shall be a statute forever for you: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether a native of your own country or a stranger who dwells among you. For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the LORD. It is a sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls. It is a statute forever. (Leviticus 16:29-31 NKJV)
Once atonement was made, the people were brought back into a proper relationship with God. Where sin separated them from God, the fasting and atonement caused them to draw closer to God again
Fasting is the act of abstaining from food or other items and habits as a sacrifice to God. It is both challenging and rewarding as we press through our discomfort to examine ourselves and our relationship with God. Here are a few ideas.
Pray for God’s guidance.
Fasting is a spiritual act that is born from our relationship with God. So we should welcome his input into our fasting decision.
Start a reading plan.
Reading scripture while fasting and praying can really bring the scriptures to life. Our church will have 40 Day Devotionals available for members to purchase. The Bible App also has a 40 Day reading plan that’s great for lent.
Get a prayer partner.
You don’t have to do this completely alone. It may be good to have a prayer partner or group that prays together or separately at the same time each day or time of the week.
Choose a challenging fast.
For example, if you’re a person who drinks sodas daily, perhaps you should consider fasting sodas. On the other hand, if you don’t typically drink sodas, don’t fast sodas because it won’t be a sacrifice.
Fasting from foods.
One of the biblical definitions of fasting is to cover the mouth. It means a person doesn’t eat food while fasting. But that doesn’t always mean to totally abstain from food. You may choose to fast a meal each day like lunch. Sometimes people will fast from sweets, sodas, or meats. This type of partial fasting can be necessary for those with special medical conditions that have specific dietary restrictions. If you’re not confident about making the decision to abstain from certain foods while fasting due to a medical condition, please consult your doctor.
Fasting from activities.
Another iteration of fasting is done when people decide to abstain from things other than food. For example, a person may fast from television, social media, certain types of music, games, or certain recreational activities. Ultimately, whatever you choose to abstain from should be a sacrifice.
Fasting from habits.
Additionally you may consider fasting from habits. Smoking, drinking, cursing, gambling and many other habits can be hard to fast. But the benefits of breaking the stronghold those habits have in our lives can outweigh our temporary discomfort.
A final note.
If you mess up, don’t give up. You’re not perfect. Give yourself some grace. If you chose to fast chocolate and mistakenly (or willingly) had a candy bar, don’t punish yourself. Instead, examine yourself, learn from the failure, pray, and keep going. I pray your season of lent will be life changing and bring greater meaning to your worship this Easter.