Day One of Lent—Ash Wednesday, Prayer and Fasting
Matthew 6:6-15 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread,
12 and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Matthew 6:16-18 16 “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Today marks the first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday, where we pray and fast for 40 days. This 40 day period is to remember Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness where He prepared for His earthly
ministry through intensive prayer, doing without food and water, and resisting the enemy.
During the next 46 days, liturgical churches often observe the Lenten season by choosing a particular item to do without. It is most often a food or drink from which to abstain, but many choose to eliminate social media or some other form of entertainment. Sundays are considered “mini-Easters” and therefore exempt from sacrifice.
As we forego our sacrificial item, we replace it with prayer, seeking both repentance and a closer relationship with Jesus. If we fail to enter into self-reflection, asking God to reveal areas in our lives that need transformation, then observing Lent is just a religious exercise with no lasting benefit.
Today’s scripture offers instruction on how to pray and how to fast. If the Son of God practiced prayer and fasting, why do we think we can do without this element of our faith?
Along with prayer and fasting, Lenten observation begins with the application of ashes in the shape of a cross to the forehead. The ashes come from the previous year’s palm leaves used for Palm Sunday. When mixed with olive oil it is applied to the believer’s forehead accompanied by the words, “From ashes you came to ashes you will return, repent and believe the gospel.”
May we take the days leading to Easter to reflect, repent, and draw closer to the One who died so that we might live.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Importance of Prayer
Genesis 4:25-26 25 And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, “For God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed.” 26 And as for Seth, to him also a son was born; and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call on the name of the LORD.
And this is when prayer began—that most personal communication between created man and holy God. Doesn’t it seem odd that prayer was not birthed until the third generation of man? To me, our deferment of prayer signifies an initial lack of understanding as to who God is and who we are.
Because we were created in God’s own image, we are drawn to Him and because we were created for relationship we are lost without Him. Prayer changes the dynamic and gives us an intimate connection with our Creator.
Don’t know how to pray? Speak God’s words back to Him. Read Psalm 100 out loud and let your heart rejoice as the praise grows and the thankfulness is disclosed.
- Psalms 100:1-4 1 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
- 2 Serve the LORD with gladness:
- come before his presence with singing.
- 3 Know ye that the LORD he is God:
- it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves;
- we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
- 4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,
- and into his courts with praise:
May we meet God early in the morning so that our day will begin with praise and end with thanksgiving.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Lord willing and the Creek Don’t Rise
James 4:13-17 13 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. 17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.
When I was very young it was not uncommon to hear someone say in response to an invitation, “I’ll be there, the Lord willing and the creek don’t rise.” I have to believe such a response was because of this scripture in James.
I have never considered answering in the affirmative about keeping an appointment to be boasting. Instead, we simply take for granted that tomorrow we will awaken and go on with our daily activities. But James seems to think it is presumptuous to make assertions about our lives.
James finishes by saying if anyone knows good but doesn’t do it, it is sin. So, inaction is equated to wrong actions. I think this gives us some insight into how God thinks. We are judged not just by our actions, but by failing to act according to God’s Word.
May we follow God’s Word faithfully as we continue on the pathway of holiness.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Wait on the Lord
Psalms 27:1 (ESV) 1 The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalms 27:4-5 (ESV) 4 One thing have I asked of the LORD,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to inquire in his temple.
5 For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will lift me high upon a rock.
Psalms 27:13-14 (ESV) 13 I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living!
14 Wait for the LORD;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the LORD!
When I was preaching, I would often preface my scripture reading with the phrase, “This is one of my favorite scriptures.” Often. More than often, almost every time. Why? Because I really do love the Word, which not only leads us to salvation but keeps us on the pathway of holiness.
Psalm 27 is one of those scriptures that I refer to again and again. Why? The first verse is an affirmation of my faith and my trust in God. Verses 4-5 provide calm assurance that this world cannot hurt me because God has a plan for my life. Verse 13 reminds me of God’s promises. And the last verse instructs me that my trust in God is strengthened when I do not get ahead of Him but simply wait.
Why do I need courage? Because waiting on the Lord takes fortitude to just be still, and being still takes patience and patience requires trust. But waiting on God is not passive. Instead, we are actively involved in meditating upon the Word, praying and helping others.
May we today consider all that the Lord has done for us and then wait—just wait.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Light of God
Psalms 119:105-106 105 Your word is a lamp for my feet,
a light on my path.
106 I have taken an oath and confirmed it,
that I will follow your righteous laws.
2 Corinthians 4:6 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.
I am thankful for artificial light. When we moved to Richmond we didn’t notice that most rooms in our house had no overhead lighting. So, for two days we were without lighting at night until we found the boxes containing lamps.
Oh how I love the light that comes from God. The light of the Word indeed shines in the darkness of this sin-soaked world, keeping us on the pathway of holiness.
I encourage each of you to remember that God’s light can penetrate the deepest darkness. It is for this reason we never give up on praying for the lost.
May the light of God’s Word lead us, and the light of His Spirit precede us in every encounter where God can be glorified and people can be transformed in Jesus’ name.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Seeking Holiness 