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Ash Wednesday

The season of Lent starts today.  I didn’t grow up in a Christian home {praise God that my entire immediate family is now Christian!} so the practice of Lent was never discussed.  I’ve been following Christ for 4 ½ years & I am now just starting to understand the importance & excitement of Lent.  It gives our hearts and minds 40 days to prepare for Easter and when Easter comes we are ready to celebrate!

 
This year I am getting up at 7:14am to pray & give up my very precious morning sleep, I am not a morning person.   This past weekend I was visiting my sister in Washington D.C. {fabulous city!} and attended National Community Church.  The pastor challenged the congregation to get on their knees & cry out to God consistently for 40 days {Listen to message online here}.  They will be gathering at their church twice a week but this is something you can do from home.   Why 7:14?  It comes from 2 Chronicles 7:14 "Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land," NLT

If you’re looking for a reading plan/devotion/Lent specific Bible verses YouVersion, the free online/mobile Bible app., has a few different Lent reading plans; including one by the always insightful N.T. Wright.   You can check them out here.  They will even send the reading directly to your email everyday!  They’re making it hard for us to find excuses as to why we’re not reading our Bibles :).

If you want to learn more about Lent, I suggest Lauren Winner's "Ash Wednesday Evangelism,".  Also, if you're considering giving something tangible up for Lent, Blood: Water Mission (a nonprofit founded by the members of Jars of Clay) does 40 Days of Water every year. They encourage you to give up all other drinks and donate what you would have spent so they can help build clean wells in Africa.

 

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