Ash Wednesday is the start of the Lenten season on most of the Western Church’s calendar. It’s the season that Christians use to draw closer to Christ through fasting and praying as we recognize the sinful nature of oneself and our dependence on the saving grace of Christ. We do so with all humility as we remember what was told to us in Genesis 3:19:
By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”
If you observe Lent, do so with true worship. Too often, we enter into various Church seasons with our focus on the traditional aspect of the season, such as color, time, food and daily activities etc. The tradition is not what saves us; the tradition is just a guide which helps us to stay focused, keep a schedule, and remain true to the goal we set for ourselves. Personally, I will try (emphasis on try) using the season of Lent to condition myself to purposefully rekindle a more disciplined prayer life which tends to wane as the rigors of daily living wedge itself between me and my Heavenly Father. Prayer and fasting can pull us out of this mire. This way of worship is so important, that in Matthew 5:5-8 & 16-18, Jesus took the time to teach us how to do so effectively:
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
So as we enter into the Lenten season, let us do so in true prayer and worship. Let us do so because of Jesus’ love for us, because of who He is and what He did for us on Calvary. Let us do so because we want to be more like Him, living a life that is holy and pleasing to our Heavenly Father. This is what Jesus said in Mark 1:15 before He called His first disciple:
“The time has come,” He said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
To repent and believe the gospel is simply to follow Jesus.
JR Tracey
The Branch Life 
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