What Is Lent?
Lent is a 40-day season of preparation before Easter (not counting Sundays). It begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday.
The purpose of Lent is not punishment…It is invitation.
An invitation to:
slow down
examine our hearts
turn away from distractions and sin
remember the sacrifice of Christ
prepare to celebrate the resurrection with renewed joy
The 40 days reflect biblical seasons of preparation:
Jesus fasting in the wilderness
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[a] by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry. Matthew 4:1-2
Moses on Mount Sinai
“Moses was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water.” Exodus 34:29a
Elijah’s journey to God
“The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.” 1 Kings 19:7-8
The flood rains
“And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights.” Genesis 7:12
Every one of these moments came before God did something new. Lent is the same for us — God prepares the heart before He renews the life.
Why Do We Observe Lent?
Not to earn God’s love… but to return to it.
Lent centers on three practices:
Prayer — Drawing Near to God - We create space to listen instead of rushing past Him.
Fasting — Letting Go - We remove something that fills us so God can fill us instead.
Repentance — Turning Back - Not shame… but realignment of the heart.
Lent is less about giving things up and more about giving God access again.
A Personal Reflection
About 35 years ago, I participated in an Easter musical called The Witness. I played the role of Mary, the mother of Jesus. We presented the musical three different times, and each time — before the music even began — I started to weep. I wept so deeply I could hardly sing.
At the time, I didn’t fully understand why.
But looking back, I believe God was doing a work in my heart. It felt as though He was gently washing away years of sin, pride, and hidden burdens. That week was one of the most emotional experiences of my life — not because of the performance, but because of the cleansing taking place inside me.
That is what Lent is meant to be. Not outward religion… but inward renewal.
Psalm 51 — The Perfect Beginning
Psalm 51 was written after David realized his sin with Bathsheba. He wasn’t just sorry he got caught — he was broken over the condition of his heart.
He didn’t ask God to fix his circumstances. He asked God to fix him.
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”
— Psalm 51:10
David understood something powerful: Sin is not first a behavior problem. It is a heart problem. And behavior only changes when the heart is made new.
Lent Theme: Heart Before Habit
We often try to modify actions:
be more patient
pray more
complain less
read the Bible more
But David teaches us the true starting point:
Not discipline first…Transformation first.
God doesn’t polish hearts. He recreates them.
The Hebrew word for create is bara — the same word used in Genesis when God created the world.
David is asking for a miracle, not a self-improvement plan.
Bible Journaling — Washed Clean
In my Bible journaling Facebook LIVE, I illustrated a clawfoot tub filled with bubbles. Floating upward from the tub are heart-shaped bubbles with the words: “Create in me a clean heart.”
A bath doesn’t repair something — it removes what doesn’t belong.
That is exactly the prayer David is praying in Psalm 51. He is not asking God to make him behave better. He is asking God to wash him completely.
Sometimes we treat repentance like wiping our hands with a towel — quick apologies, small adjustments, promises to try harder. But God offers something deeper. He invites us into cleansing, not covering.
Just like soaking in warm water loosens dirt we cannot scrub away ourselves, God gently lifts away the sin, shame, and burdens we have carried for far too long.
And the heart-shaped bubbles rising into the air remind me of this truth:
When God cleans the heart, joy rises.
Not forced happiness. Not pretending everything is fine. But the lightness that comes when we stop carrying what Jesus already carried to the cross.
If you would like to create this journaling page, you can find the graphic template in my FREEBIE section to print and use in your Bible, journal, or art notebook as you begin this Lenten journey.
Reflection Questions
What have I been trying to fix outwardly instead of surrendering inwardly?
What habits are symptoms of a deeper heart struggle?
Where have I been hiding instead of confessing?
What would it look like for God to renew my spirit — not just improve my behavior?
Closing Prayer
Lord, I don’t want surface change — I want real change. Search me and show me what I have ignored, justified, or buried. Wash what I cannot clean. Heal what I cannot fix. Create in me a new heart, not a better mask. And prepare me during this Lenten season to love You more than my comfort. Amen.
