A Prayer to Reflect on Who Jesus Is during Lent
By Meg Bucher
"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" - John 14:6
The Lenten season causes me to take a deep breath each year as Catholic school memories flood my mind. They are good memories. I can’t remember a day when I didn’t love Jesus …even before I understood who He was.
Lent is an amazing time of reflection. Whether you grew up Catholic like me, or this is your first time trying to figure out what it is, it will help you get to know Jesus better. I love that God’s journey for me has allowed me to be a part of many congregations: Catholic, Brethren, Methodist, Pentecostal, and Nondenominational. When we listen and lean in His direction, we drink in so much we might have passed by.
Maybe you’re like me, and though you are no longer a part of your original congregation, you can look back and see how God has layered levels of wisdom into your faith through it. It astonishes me. There are Christians in every denomination, so this isn’t going to be a place where I pick any of them apart. The joy in my journey lies in the people God placed in those churches … priests, pastors, youth leaders, and teachers—faithful servants of God.
Being a part of so many places has given me an appreciation for people seeking more of God and how important it is to know the Bible for ourselves. Our personal relationship with Jesus is bigger than, and cannot be experienced solely through, any church or denomination. Any good pastor or leader will encourage us to seek the Father first in His Word.
Pastors, leaders, teachers … they all make mistakes. Not every denomination is 100% biblically sound. It’s important to know what is and what isn’t. That is what Lent is all about. It’s a recalibration and reflection of remembering who Jesus is.
Life is a beautiful journey lived in step with the Lord. Lent is a powerful reminder that though life can be painful at times, living within the will of God allows us to walk through it with hope. If you’re anything like me, there are days I peer back into my past and know there is no way I should even be here. But because of the Gospel, I am. These 40 days of Lent are a time when I adjust my daily life to reflect deeply on my journey with Jesus. Whether it means giving something up or instilling a new habit, Lent can be an incredible time to create more margins to refocus our hearts and marinate our minds in God’s Word.
Though our faith in Christ Jesus is one of the most complex relationships, it’s also the simplest. “Come to me,” He says. We fight, scrap, pull away, and run for the hills, and He stands firm, waiting for us to turn our lives over to Him. Lent reminds us of who, and Whose, we are. We are His. Jesus left heaven to come to earth. Fully human, He felt everything we feel. Fully God, He did not sin. He’s God. But the different levels of pain and happiness and the steady joy we find when we’re connected to God … He feels all of it. He went to the cross for it. “For God so loved the world, He gave His one and only Son to save us.” That’s it.
If you’re a part of a complicated denomination, simplify it. Lent is between you and Jesus. Make some margin to connect with Him. Take the journey.
Let’s pray:
Father,
You are amazing. You are! The way You have layered our lives with rich experiences that draw us to You is incredible. Thank You for loving us so specifically and faithfully. You love us for who we are right now. We are your children! Father, this Lent, we confess we are distracted. Help us to focus on Jesus, to journey with Him in reflection, looking for those intentional layers of love You have laid down in our lives. We want more of You, God. More time with You, and to know You better. You have prepared the way, God. This Lent helps us to reflect on the greatest love story of all time: Your love for us through Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross.
We pray for Your Word to come alive like never before. Help us to connect to a reading plan or listen to the Bible being read regularly during this time, God. Alert us. Convict us. Remind us. Strengthen our connection to You, Father. We want to grow wiser. We want to see the people in our lives as You see them. If we are being honest, God, we want to experience healing, peace, hope, and joy. Bless us with Your favor, God. We pray to look back on this Lenten season as a time when one of those remarkable layers of wisdom was woven into our lives. Thank You for loving us. Thank You for forgiving us.
For the wounds past congregations may have left on our hearts and in our minds, God, would You provide healing only You are capable of performing. Guide us in Truth, God. Help us to forgive and heal from things that have hurt us and damaged our perception of who You are and who Jesus is. Let the purpose of Your church become something we not only understand but crave to participate in!
Father, as we journey through Lent, help us to connect with You and the people around us. Help us to see the people You have placed in our lives and plug into our congregations in places that need what only we can offer. Let the unique gifts You have placed in us be apparent, God, during this Lenten season. In this time of reflection, we want to journey with Jesus, ensuring we live our lives to the full, as He died for us to do. Let all we do bring glory and honor to You, God.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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