Perhaps during the Lenten season we should stop praying for others as if we were virtuous enough to do so. Perhaps we should take off our righteous robes just long enough during this 40 days to put ashes on our own heads, to come before God with a new humility that is willing to confess, “Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner.” Maybe we should be willing to prostrate ourselves before God and plead, “Lord, in my hand no price I bring; simply to the cross I cling.” That might put us in a position to hear God in ways that we have not heard Him in a long time. And it may be the beginning of a healing for which we have so longed.

O Lord, begin with me. Here. Now.
--Dennis Bratcher, “The Season of Lent”

Each day we spend a good amount of time praying for the well-being of others. We pray that their needs be met and that all their sins be washed away. We pray for others who are sick, that they be made hale and hearty. We pray for those suffering from maladies and burdens that keep them from rising, taking up their mat, and going forth, and our prayers are for those who have less than we do – God please bless them with increase and the necessities of life. We pray these prayers of intercession because we earnestly want those blessings for others. We care about others so we beseech God to love, bless, and take care of the issues of their hearts.

On this second day of the Lenten season, turn the table around and have a “come to Jesus” meeting with yourself. Ask God to help you examine your heart and life and to place a reflective mirror before you so that you can see the places in you that have been scarred by your own disobedience and recklessness. Ask God to reveal the spaces in your heart you’ve made empty from rash and unmindful living. In the asking, admit that your transgressions have thrust you further from the Will of God and that you’ve set yourself off the path far too many times. Humbly pour your troubles on the altar for threshing, clarification, and resolution.

After your penitence, seek God in your everyday experiences. Be mindful of God’s presence, for just as Jesus was tempted during his 40 days in the wilderness, you will be tempted also. The enemy will try to coax you into betraying yourself and the sacrifices you’re making during this time. Your flesh will be weak; some days may be too hard; maybe you’ll begin to believe your sacrifices were too ambitious so you may look for excuses to give in. Don’t be deterred. The presence of God is with you, in you, and cheering for your deliverance and restoration.

At the end of these reverent 40 days is the renaissance – a new beginning and a fresh start. Because you have purged and preened, you can walk in newness and confidence that you have been blessed and the old stuff is no longer attached to your being. You can breathe lighter and longer for you no longer carry the weight of a cross that has been unexamined and left unresolved.

Blessed be these next 40 days of your life, and may the journey fine-tune and lay perfect foundation for the rest of your days.

Sadiqqa © 2007