The season of Lent is upon us, so we are going to talk about some creative ways of practicing fasting and prayer over the next 40 days. I’ve also got a handy-dandy Lenten Reading Plan, that will take you through the life and ministry of Jesus. 

What do you usually do during Lent? 

I grew up attending a liturgical church, where we followed a very organized worship calendar. In fact, there is a three-year cycle, that leads the church through the Bible, thoroughly highlighting the Old Testament Law, the Prophets, the Psalms, the Gospels, and the Epistles. Say what you want about prayer books and fixed liturgies, but the scriptures are woven through all it in ways that still astound me. 

There are times I come across a scripture verse in my quiet time and I am taken right back to childhood experiences of worship, hearing the voice of the Church speak the word of God together in unison. That’s a powerful picture, isn’t it? There is no doubt in my mind, that when the church worships together, it blesses the LORD.

The worship seasons of the Church give us a way to worship in collective unison, whether we are gathered or on our own. That’s what Lent does. It draws the Church together, gives a focus, a timeline, and some helpful disciplines that can help us go deeper. So, if you’ve never really observed this holy season, I invite you to step in this year and enjoy the wonder of 40-days with Jesus practicing the disciplines of fasting and prayer.

What is Lent?

Lent is always observed starting on Ash Wednesday through to Palm Sunday. It’s a 40-day journey marked with fasting and prayer. In Lent, we focus on Jesus by practicing disciplines that help in relinquishing the false self. For me, I cannot help but look at the example of Jesus, when he went into the desert for 40 days, before he officially began his ministry.

When Jesus spent those 40 days in the desert, he disciplined his heart to trust God. In fasting and prayer, he repeatedly surrendered to the way of God. He experienced temptation and spiritual attack as Satan worked to manipulate and control, but Jesus trusted, surrendered, and obeyed what he heard the Father say. 

Observing Lent provides an opportunity to intentionally follow the example of Jesus. Reading about His life and ministry, fasting, and praying helps position the soul to see and understand what it looks like to be committed to the ways of God. The life and ministry of Jesus, are a lifeline for you and me, not just because he died on the cross, but because of how he lived on this earth.

Self-denial requires trust, and when we walk in sacrificial obedience like that, it cultivates faith. These disciplines take us into the deep places of trust, opening the way for more of God. Fasting and prayer are a way of worship and that is why we do it. 

The heart of worship is always, surrender. If it doesn’t start there, then we’ve missed the point. Loving God isn’t just about words or actions, it must be motivated from a yielded heart that acknowledges and proclaims the He is God and we are not. Fasting and prayer help us position the heart and align the soul with what is good and true.

Creative ways of fasting and prayer during Lent

Sometimes, I wonder what might happen if the church here in North America was brave enough to enter into fasting and prayer together, not just as individuals? When I read the scripture about fasting and prayer, I am continually convicted by what I think can only be called a lack of faith. Too harsh? Maybe, but in that conviction, there is an invitation to step into the deeper places with God. Lent gives us a real opportunity to move beyond the individual process; it gives the Church a way to do this together even as we do it on our own. Here are some creative ways of cultivating the practices of fasting and prayer.

Fasting and prayer for the family

Teaching our kids about fasting and prayer is important and even when they are young, we can bring them into this spiritual experience. Map out a time during the week, during which you all abstain from leisure activities to spend time together, reading about the life of Jesus. During this time, you can work on the project together.

One Lenten season, my family created a banner. The walls of the church we attended, were adorned with beautifully hand quilted and embroidered banners inspired by scripture. Our project was definitely not ornate like the ones at church, but the experience of working on it week after week during Lent is still clear in my mind after more than 30 years. 

My father and brother worked on making a thick dowel for hanging the banner, sanding and staining it by hand. I still remember pressing the seams with the iron and my mother and I sews the banner out of burlap. My Father traced and cut the lettering from the felt, and then we glued them onto the burlap, spelling out, “Love one another.” That banner hung on the dining room wall for years, and though I don’t know what happened to it, the experience is forever etched into my memory. 

Art projects, not your thing? No problem! Consider doing a missional project. You could take time as a family to prepare meals to share with others. Another great idea is to make homemade cards and write notes of encouragement. You can hand deliver or slip them into the mail. Brainstorm a list of odd jobs that can be done to serve and care for neighbors. The sky is the limit!

Fasting and prayer as a personal practice.

Fasting is about abstaining from the appetites of the flesh. There is a whole range of fasting to consider that moves from one extreme to the other. Regardless of how you decide to abstain, remember that fasting and prayer should always go hand and hand. 

Doing a 40-day fast is a huge undertaking, but it can be done. My recommendation is if you have never done a long fast, start with something smaller. Also, before you start a food fast, make sure you check with your doctor. If that feels a little daunting because let’s be real, that’s intense, try fasting from a kind of food or drink for the 40 days. I have included a list of fasting options to choose from that might work well, or inspire a new idea!

Fasting and prayer as a small group

We did a small group fast several years ago, which was pretty cool. Our prayer focus was for unsaved friends and family, so each week we fasted on the day of our meeting to pray in solidarity for salvation. We then would break the fast together, with a shared meal at the end of the day as we gathered for our small group meeting. 

I also did something similar with my extended family, who live in another country, with a fasting and prayer focus on unsaved family members. In this Pandemic season, this kind of fast is a great way of connecting us even when we cannot physically gather. It forces us to be intentional, which, by the way, is the whole point of the practice.

Creative fasting and prayer options

• Commit to doing a project
• Daily scripture reading
• Consider doing a scripture memory project
• Abstain from snacks
• Give up sweets
• Fast for one day each week
• Do a 40-day fast
• Unplug and do a 40-day media fast (TV, Movies, Video Games)
• Cut out Social Media
• Abstain from habits and comforts: taking elevators, reading, sports (whatever your habit might be)
• Give up that daily/weekly Starbucks specialty drink
• Abstain from any unnecessary shopping

Digging in and making a simple plan

There are many great resources available, that can help center and focus as you embark on a Lenten journey. But, to be completely honest, intentionality doesn’t have to be a massive campaign. Sometimes in our desire to go deeper, we take off more than we can handle. As you dig in, just keep it simple.

Don’t look at Lent as an event, instead see it as a journey. Fasting and prayer don’t need to be complicated or cute. The whole idea is to simply let go of an appetite and seek God. What is it in your life right now that draws your attention and affection away from the LORD? Start there and formulate a simple plan of abstinence. 

Self-denial a beautiful picture of surrender and obedience, which produces a fragrant worship offering. That said, let us remember that true worship starts in the heart. Fasting and prayer do not create a special formula we can use to manipulate God into giving us what we want. The goal in fasting and prayer is to let go of things to seek God for his best of ourselves, for others, and the world around us.

To make this easy, I put together a reading plan that you can download by clicking here. Pick a fasting option from the list and consider a prayer focus over the next 40-days. Simple, right? You can also build into this easy plan by doing Lectio Divina with the readings (all of them or just selected ones) and contemplative journaling. 

Happy Lent, friend! Dig in, enjoy the journey, and savor the experience of the process as you press in for the more of God.