Celebrating Lent: Your Ultimate Guide to Lent (For All Christian Traditions)

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I first heard of Lent waaaay back when I was about 20. That first year, I decided I wanted to try celebrating Lent by giving up something: sugar. That was SO hard. And to be honest, I didn’t really understand why I was doing it.

Since then, I’ve learned a bit more about celebrating Lent. If you’re unfamiliar with it, here are a few myths and truths:

Myth #1: Celebrating Lent is only for Catholics.

Truth: Lent is observed by Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant Christians alike. Lent is an ancient practice that began long before Christians used such labels to define ourselves.

Myth #2: Lent is 40 days long.

Truth: It’s actually 46 days! Those extra 6 days are Sundays, when tradition says that you can break your fast.

Myth #3: Lent is about fasting.

Truth: Well, that one was partly true, but Lent isn’t just about giving up something.

There are 3 traditional Lenten activities:

prayer
fasting
almsgiving

What is the purpose of celebrating Lent?

Together, these three pillars of Lent help us draw closer to God, which is the true purpose of the Lenten season.

Like Jesus fasting in the desert for 40 days, or Moses being with God on Mount Sinai for 40 days, the 40 days of Lent are a physical reminder to draw near to God.

If you want Lent summarized in a sentence, it is this:

Lent is a 40 day period starting on Ash Wednesday and ending on Easter Saturday, during which Christians prepare their hearts for Easter, and draw near to God through the practices of prayer, fasting, and giving.

Which means that Lent isn’t about fasting: it’s about drawing closer to God.

There are 3 practices that Christians have used for generations which can help you draw near to God, reflected in the 3 pillars of Lent mentioned above.

1) Prayer during Lent

Many people feel that the only thing we do during Lent is fast, but if the purpose of Lent is to help us draw near to God, we can’t just pick something willy-nilly. We need to be intentional about it.

Prayer can help us do that. To help, you can use this prayer to help you invite God into your Lenten season.

God, you are above and below me,
around and beside me, hemming me in.
And yet, I often feel far from you.
Please open my eyes to the things that keep me from you.
If there is something in particular that you want me
to give up this season, please show me.
Convict me and guide me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

2) Fasting during Lent

Several years ago I was convicted about how much money I spent shopping. I was praying about it on the way to Costco one evening, and decided that I would give up all unnecessay shopping for Lent. To my surprise, Lent started the next day! ?

Through this time of prayer, I was motivated to fast from buying things I didn’t need. Through that Lenten season, I not only learned to trust God more with our finances, but I learned to keep to a budget, which has changed the direction of our family finances.

Because every Sunday is a mini-resurrection celebration, Sundays aren’t included in the 40 days (which is why it’s actually 46 days)! You can’t fast on resurrection day!! So if you choose something extreme to fast from, remember that you can still participate in this activity on Sundays.

For example, some friends of mine actually fasted from ALL shopping during Lent. They did all their grocery shopping on Sundays. This year, I am going to fast from social media, so all my blog-related social media work will occur on Sundays.

Again, if you’d like to fast from something during Lent, I encourage you to do it prayerfully.

Here are a few suggestions of out-of-the-box, meaningful things to give up for Lent:

🛒 Give up shopping (completely, or from unnecessary items)
😫 Give up complaining
🍪 Give up sugar
🖥 Give up social media
🍔 Give up purchasing fast food
🍗 Give up meat
💄 Give up wearing makeup
⏰ Give up sleeping in

Sometimes Lent isn’t actually about giving up something physical, but about giving up TIME to the Lord.

Is there a time slot in your day that you could give your attention to God?

If you’re looking for something that’s exactly the same length as Lent, last year I created a 40-day reading plan called “40 Days With Jesus”.

If you’re hungry to get to know Jesus in a deeper way, I highly encourage you to try this 40-day reading plan. You can use this reading plan alone, or with children of any age.

Check out the 40 Days with Jesus here.

3) Giving during Lent

Remember my fasting-from-shopping experience? Here was an amazing byproduct: at the end of the season, I had a few hundred dollars left over to give to an organization that empowers the poorest of the poor.

If you choose to give this Lenten season, as a way of drawing near to God, here are some out-of-the-box suggestions.

? Use cash for your grocery shopping, and put all unused $$ each week into the church offering plate.
? Choose a ministry that serves in a way that excites you, and set aside a few dollars each week to donate.
? Set up an automatic withdrawal from your bank account for a worthy organization.
??‍♀️ Give of your time to serve anonymously in an unusual way.
? Do some random acts of kindness with your family.

When it’s all put together, prayer, fasting, and giving can create an experience where you draw closer to God.

But remember, none of this is necessary for the Christian life. You don’t get “Jesus points” for fasting or praying or giving or for celebrating Lent. But it can help you experience God in incredible new ways!

Should YOU celebrate Lent this year?

That’s between you and God. I encourage you to pray the prayer up above, or pray your own prayers. In particular, ask him to reveal to you anything that has become an idol in your life, because that could reveal something you could fast from.

Personally, I have realized that social media has become all-consuming. So this Lenten season, I’m (mostly) giving up social media. My plan is to schedule posts in advance, and spend no more than 30 minutes per day in total, and only for business purposes.

How about you?

WHEN DOES LENT START?

This year (2022), Lent starts on Wednesday, March 2.

Within Lent, there are a few special days: Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday.

THE SPECIAL DAYS IN LENT

1) Ash Wednesday

Lent begins with Ash Wednesday. Traditionally, Ash Wednesday is a day to remember God’s holiness and our sinfulness. Recognizing this ought to lead us to repentance (which is the turning away from sin).

In the Bible, repentance was sometimes a very obvious act, when people would rip their clothes and wear something called sackcloth, and cover themselves with ashes.

Most people don’t repent quite so…dramatically these days, but will often go to special church service where a pastor or priest draws a cross on their forehead with ashes.

RELATED: What is Ash Wednesday?

VERSES TO READ ON ASH WEDNESDAY: Genesis 2:4-9 and Genesis 3:19

2) Palm Sunday

This is the Sunday before Easter, when we celebrate Jesus fulfilling a prophecy by riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. On this day we wave palm branches and shout praises to our king, remembering that the kind of king we received isn’t the kind of king we thought we wanted.

VERSES TO READ ON PALM SUNDAY: Matthew 21:1-11

3) Maundy Thursday

This is the day before Good Friday, when Christians remember the Last Supper. In particular, we remember Jesus washing the feet of his disciples.

“Maundy” comes from the word “Mandatum” which means “commandment.” This is the day that Jesus commanded his disciples to wash the feet of others, just like he had done for them.

VERSES TO READ ON MAUNDY THURSDAY: John 13:1-17

4) Good Friday

Good Friday is the day that we remember the dead of Jesus.

VERSES TO READ ON GOOD FRIDAY: Mark 15:21-41

5) Resurrection Sunday

Praise Jesus, he’s alive! This is the day we remember the incredible power of God, raising Christ from the dead and defeating sin and death.

Learn to explain the resurrection to a child

VERSES TO READ ON RESURRECTION SUNDAY: Luke 24:1-12

If you’re looking for an Easter reading plan, I’ve gotcha covered! Check out my 10-day reading plan here. (Bonus, if it’s still near the beginning of Lent, you will be super prepared for Easter when you download the reading plan today!) Check it out here or enter your details below.