We are right in the middle of the Lenten season. If you are still looking to start your Lent reflections, here is a good place to start.
The 40 days (save Sundays) leading up to Easter make up the season of Lent. As Christians contemplate the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, many choose to practise spiritual disciplines.
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In his sermon on 11 and 12 Mar, executive pastor of City Harvest Church Aries Zulkarnain elaborated on these disciplines: “Most Christians would adopt a period of fasting and prayer, and a period of sanctification and consecration so that they can draw nearer to God.” Abstinence in some form—whether fasting or staying away from luxuries— help a person develop the fruit of self-control.
“This fruit of self-control is necessary so that you and I can learn how to crucify our flesh, in order to be alive towards the things of the Holy Spirit,” Pastor Aries said. “As you are sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit, God will lead you towards the spiritual formation, so that you will experience the fullness of God’s love.”
Whether you’re new to observing Lent or you want to encounter Jesus in a deeper way this season, here is a guide we hope will be useful for you (click on the links for more material), and also testimonies of how God has blessed others as they sought Him during the season of Lent.
What is Lent?
First, Lent is the 40 days (not including Sundays) from Ash Wednesday to the Saturday before Easter. This year, Ash Wednesday fell on 22 Feb, Good Friday falls on 7 April and Resurrection Sunday on 9 April.
Besides fasting (abstaining from something to reduce distractions and focus more on God), many Christians also focus on prayer and giving during Lent. It is also a time for Christians to reflect on the works of Jesus on the cross.
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Reflect on what Jesus did on the cross
The cross lies at the heart of the gospel and it is the one thing Christians all around the world fix their eyes upon during Easter. In his sermon leading up to Good Friday in 2020, senior pastor Kong Hee explained why Jesus had to go to the cross to redeem mankind and what the cross represents.
What was left as a reminder after Jesus’ resurrection were the scars on His hands. In 2021, pastor Lin Junxian preached on the scars of Jesus and how they serve as three reminders of Jesus’ sacrifice, victory and obedience on the cross. He explained that scars are wounds that have been healed and encouraged the church to allow God to heal their wounds.
One way to contemplate what Jesus endured is to study “the Way of the Cross” or the Via Dolorosa. For visitors to the city of Jerusalem, the Via Dolorosa is a processional route that brings them through a winding 600-metre journey that is peppered with significant points that are known as “the Stations of the Cross”.
After reflecting on what Jesus has done for us, we must come into fellowship with Jesus. In his sermon in 2021, executive pastor Bobby Chaw shared that eating with Jesus is an important theme in the Bible. When the disciples dined with Him, their lives were transformed.
Fast
Before Jesus started his ministry, the Holy Spirit led Him into the wilderness where He fasted for 40 days (Mt 4:1-2). Throughout the Bible, we see that Jesus’ ability to perform miracles is intrinsically linked to prayer and fasting. There are many reasons why Christians fast, but the main focus is always to draw closer to God.
Here’s how to get started, and if fasting seems like a daunting task for you, let this testimony of Elaine Chan (published in 2021) inspire you.
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Pray
The concept of praying is not foreign to Christians, so what makes prayer during Lent different? In his recent sermon, Pastor Kong taught the church the theme of “contemplation”, which he defines as coming into God’s presence with no agenda. It is meeting with God in His presence, and simply soaking in His love and affection.
However, quietening down the mind is not easy to do. It takes time to build up a routine of prayer, where the mind can transition from noise to stillness and the presence of God. In his sermon in 2022, Pastor Bobby shared with the church that when it comes to prayer, do not despise small beginnings. When his mother first became a Christian, she was unsure of how to begin praying. He encouraged her to pray the words of the psalmist in Psalms 27 and 91. Each day, she would recite those Psalms, making them her own prayer. As she continued praying consistently, she began to gain the vocabulary to express what was in her heart. Here are more reflections on prayer by Pastor Bobby.
In this sermon on prayer (in 2021), Pastor Bobby taught the church how to pray like Jesus.
One way to deepen your prayer is to meditate on the Word of God. Here is a list of verses to help you get started.
So, you’re all set to start your fasting and prayer journey this Lent. Why not journal your experience and see how God has moved by the end of Lent? Journaling can lead you deeper into communion with God, as Cynthia Chua, a cell group leader and staffer at CHC shared here. Read and be inspired to start your own Lent journal.
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