For a Meaningful 40 Days
8 Lenten practices to choose from
1.Set a timer for 3 min, at a time that suits you. Enjoy the quiet and the reflective stillness. Try to do this every day or as often as you can.
‘Be still and know that I am God.’
2.Take a long walk and gather things along the way — things that remind you of the Creator.
‘In wisdom you have made them all!’
3.Make a list of people who are having a bad time- they may be sick, facing a crisis, bereavement, or job loss. The colleague who lost his mother recently, a friend facing terminal cancer, a niece struggling in a difficult marriage. Set a time to pray for them regularly. Write out the names on a prayer card and pray regularly and intentionally.
‘Let your requests be made known to God.’
4.Try not to buy anything for the next 40 days except essential toiletries and groceries. This practice in frugality helps in many ways. This will be a fast from any unnecessary spending.
This exercise makes you creative (you learn to bake using oil and yoghurt when you run out of butter), more God focused and calm. As Elizabeth George says in her book Life Management for Busy Women- ‘It’s always so refreshing, its like stopping to take a deep, satisfying breath of fresh air. It opens your eyes to the needs of others.’
5. Every day, give of your time,( volunteer to read at an old age home, to babysit or to teach Sunday school, or arrange flowers at church), your resources ( drive someone to an event or Bible study, give away anything you do not use) or your talents. You could visit your neighbor, bake for a church sale, donate to an organization or encourage a co-worker. Pray for creative ideas and that you will be led to the right person.
‘God loves a cheerful giver’
‘Give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion.’
6.Regularly mark out ‘no screen time’. You will now have time to paint and draw, read and craft, visit parents and walk in the garden.
And when you do you will hear the music of the birds and the rustling of the leaves, you will notice the Monarch butterfly and the handsome Tui flying by.
7.Memorize scripture. (a verse a week or a verse every day)
Some simple ways to do this.
-Put it to music and sing it.
-Write it out and put it on the refrigerator or near the sink.
-Read in different translations.
-Paraphrase the verse and link it to a picture or a situation in your life.
8. Focus on being positive. Think, talk and text only good about people and situations.
Talk to God about everything that is hard, weary, fearful and sad. ‘Run to the throne instead of the phone!’
This year Lent starts on 17th Feb. It is a 40 day period in the Christian calendar when we draw back from normal life to embrace a more soulful way of living. For me, this time of the year is very special and helps me connect with God more deeply.
Try one or as many of the ideas from here or come up with your own!
