Meditations in
the Season of Lent
Ash Wednesday
Our Cry of Repentance
Psalm 51:7- 10 - Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent. Lent is a 40-day season (not counting Sundays) marked by repentance, fasting, reflection, and ultimately celebration. The 40-day period represents Christ’s time of temptation in the wilderness, where he fasted and where Satan tempted him. The season of Lent calls us to set aside time for fasting and prayer to focus on Christ’s life, ministry, sacrifice, and resurrection.
According to Britannica.com, Lent has been observed since apostolic times, though the practice was not formalized until the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. Christian scholars note that Lent became more regularized after the legalization of Christianity in A.D. 313. Most agree that by the end of the fourth century, the 40-day period of Easter preparation known as Lent existed, and that prayer and fasting constituted its primary spiritual exercises.
A Prayer for Ash Wednesday
Heavenly Father, have mercy on us. We confess our sins to you. We have fallen short of your glory and without your mercy and grace, we have no hope. Help us, by your Holy Spirit, to receive your conviction of our sin, and lead us to truly repent for our sin. As we enter this Lenten season, we are sustained by the words of Jesus, “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Father, we are willing to enter the wilderness of this Lenten season because we know Easter is coming! Death has no sting, no victory, because of Jesus! Glory and honor and praise to His name! Thank you for rescuing us from sin and death. Help us keep both the weight and the joy of this season in our hearts as we move through the next several weeks. Help us bear the good fruit of your Spirit.
Father, for many of us, this season is symbolized by the mark of ashes on our forehead. Thank you that those ashes do not symbolize our ultimate reality. From dust, we were formed, but our bodies, our spirits, ourselves, await beautiful redemption and the restoration of all things. Help us to long and look forward to that day, and let it come quickly, Lord Jesus. Amen.
My Takeaway: The night is dark, but there is a Light which has overcome the darkness. He is the Light of the World - he will illuminate your pathway. Place your trust in him.
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(Selah is a
word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary
Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and
think about these things.)
These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he
seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.
The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed
on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service
by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.
Copyright
© 2022 by Alex M. Knight
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations
are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are
taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015
by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers,
Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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