Lenten Devotional: 40 Days to Easter

Lent is one of the most ancient practices in the Christian tradition, observed by Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, and many other Protestant churches. At its heart, it is simply this: 40 days of intentional preparation before the most important day in the Christian calendar. It is not about earning anything — Easter's gift is not contingent on how well you kept Lent. It is about arriving at Easter with open hands and a prepared heart.

What Is Lent?

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday — the day before Easter Sunday. The 40 days mirror Jesus's 40 days of fasting and temptation in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11), and Israel's 40 years of wilderness wandering. Sundays are not counted in the 40 days — every Sunday is a "little Easter," a mini-celebration of the resurrection. This is why Lent is 46 calendar days but 40 fasting days.

The traditional practices of Lent, drawn from Matthew 6, are:

• Fasting — giving something up to create hunger and space
• Prayer — deepening your practice of prayer during the season
• Giving (almsgiving) — increased generosity toward those in need

How to Observe Lent

There is no single right way. Some possibilities:

• Fast from something meaningful — not just social media, but something that will actually create space: a habit, a comfort, a distraction that has been filling the place prayer should occupy
• Add a daily practice — a short Scripture reading, a specific prayer, a few minutes of silence each morning
• Follow a reading plan — many churches and organizations publish Lenten reading guides that move through the Gospels toward Easter
• Observe the daily offices — morning and evening prayer, even briefly, anchors the day in Scripture and worship

The 40-Day Scripture Framework

Each week of Lent traditionally has a theme. Here is a simple framework for devotional reading:

Week 1 — Return and Repentance

Begin with honesty about where you are. Key readings: Joel 2:12-13 (return to God with all your heart), Psalm 51 (David's prayer of repentance), Luke 15:11-32 (the prodigal son's return). The question: what do I need to return from?

Week 2 — The Desert

Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). The temptations of provision, spectacle, and power — and how Jesus resisted each with Scripture. The question: what am I most tempted to trust in place of God?

Week 3 — Surrender

The rich young ruler (Mark 10:17-22). The woman who anointed Jesus (Mark 14:3-9). Mary's "let it be to me according to your word" (Luke 1:38). The question: what am I holding that I have not surrendered?

Week 4 — Suffering

Psalm 22, Isaiah 53, Job 1-2. The question of why God allows suffering — and the model of honest lament. The question: what suffering am I carrying that I have not brought to God honestly?

Week 5 — Death and Life

Lazarus (John 11:1-44). "Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies..." (John 12:24). The question: what needs to die in me so that something new can grow?

Week 6 — Holy Week

Walk through the final week of Jesus's life day by day:

• Palm Sunday — the triumphal entry (Matthew 21:1-11)
• Monday-Wednesday — the temple and teachings
• Maundy Thursday — the Last Supper and Gethsemane (John 13-17)
• Good Friday — the crucifixion (John 18-19)
• Holy Saturday — waiting in the dark
• Easter Sunday — He is risen (Matthew 28:1-10)

Fasting, Giving, and Prayer

Jesus assumes his disciples will fast — "when you fast," not "if you fast." Lenten fasting is private, not performative. Its purpose is to create hunger — physical or metaphorical — that redirects you to God. Whatever you give up, the space it creates should be filled with prayer, not with something else.