Lent was established initially for new Christians, those who experienced a call. They were to spend 40 days and 40 nights preparing for their baptism. If, in the end, they still wanted to follow Jesus, then on Easter Eve, they would be baptized as the sun was rising in the east, signaling the new day, the new era, inaugurated because of the Resurrection. The powerful significance for them was to prepare for their vocation as Christians the same way Jesus prepared for His vocation as the Messiah: 40 days of introspection and self-examination.
Later, the church used the 40 days of Lent as a time of renewal for those who were already Christians because, at a certain point, everyone in the empire...was baptized as infants. So, the time of Lent was used as a time of renewal and recommitment to the Christian life, examining our lives in light of the One we are supposed to follow. (Mark Trotter, )
Today, Lent is observed during the 40-day period between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. It is a time to set aside our wants and needs to come humbly and meek before God, recognizing our need for a Savior above all. Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, reminds us that we are from dust and return to dust. (Genesis 3:17-19). Ash Wednesday serves as a reminder that we will die and face the consequences of sin. The meaning and purpose of Lent are to reflect on our sinful nature and praise God for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Jesus came to serve, live, and die for our sins. Lent ends on the glorious day of Easter when we celebrate Jesus' Resurrection. We are no longer cursed to the grave, but our sins are forgiven.
Lent continues into the Holy Week with Maundy Thursday and Good Friday events. Maundy Thursday commemorates the day Jesus celebrated Passover with his disciples, washed their feet, and retreated to the Garden of Gethsemane for prayer. During the Passover Meal, Jesus institutes the act of Communion and remembering His sacrifice.
Good Friday is the day Jesus was crucified. It is called "good" because of the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins. Without this "good" day, we would not have the forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life in heaven.
Many choose to observe Lent with fasting and prayer. Fasting is simply abstaining from something to focus on something else. When we give up something, such as food, social media, or TV, we are given time to reflect on our faith and grow our relationship with God. As we sacrifice something we often turn to, we remember the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Fasting and prayer during Lent also symbolize the 40 days and nights Jesus fasted in the desert as the devil tempted him. Through Lent, we come to the realization of our sin, connect with Jesus during his temptation, and experience freedom from sin through his death and resurrection.
The Old Testament and New Testament give us guidelines and examples for fasting. Whether you observe Lent with daily Scripture reflections or fasting and prayer, we have collected helpful Bible verses for remembering the sacrifice and knowing how to fast. May these Scriptures encourage your faith and strengthen your relationship with Jesus.
16“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
17But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,
18so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
19“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy,your whole body will be full of light.
23But if your eyes are unhealthy,your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
25“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?
26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
27Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
28“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.
29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?
31So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
10I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
11and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
13Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
15All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.
16Only let us live up to what we have already attained.
17Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.
18For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.
19Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things.
20But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,
6“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
7Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
8Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
9Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. “If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
10and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.
11The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.
12Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
1Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
2Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
3Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.
4For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.
5The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.
6By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
7He gathers the waters of the sea into jars ; he puts the deep into storehouses.
8Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him.
9For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.
10The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
11But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.
12Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance.
13From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind;
14from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth—
15he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.
16No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength.
17A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save.
18But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
19to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.
20We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.
21In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.
22May your unfailing love be with us, LORD, even as we put our hope in you.
1Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
2After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.
3The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
4Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
5Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.
6“If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’ ”
7Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
8Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.
9“All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
10Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”
11Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
14When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table.
15And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.
16For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”
17After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you.
18For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”
19And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
20In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
21But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table.
22The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed. But woe to that man who betrays him!”
23They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this.
24A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest.
25Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors.
26But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves.
27For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.
28You are those who have stood by me in my trials.
29And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me,
30so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
31“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat.
32But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
33But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”
34Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”
35Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?”“Nothing,” they answered.
36He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.
He is a cross pendant.
He is engraved with a unique Number.
He will mail it out from Jerusalem.
He will be sent to your Side.
Emmanuel
Bible Verses About Welcoming ImmigrantsEmbracing the StrangerAs we journey through life, we often encounter individuals who are not of our nationality......
Who We AreWhat We EelieveWhat We Do
2025 by iamachristian.org,Inc All rights reserved.
