Lent Devotional
A Call to Repentance & Renewal
Week 1
Joel 2:12-13 (ESV)
“Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.
When you think of Lent, what comes to mind?
Growing up Roman Catholic, I often thought of Lent as a time when my family ate less candy and had ashes smeared on our foreheads in the shape of a cross. Maybe that’s true for you too—you associate Lent with giving up [insert random vice here] for forty days.
But Lent is so much more than that.
Historically, Lent has been a season of fasting, repentance, and renewal—a time set apart to prepare our hearts for the hope of Easter. Our prayer is that Lent 2025 would be a season of deeper intimacy with God—a journey of confession & repentance, renewal & rest, and meditation & fasting. In the words of Joel, let’s return to the Lord with all our hearts.
—Sage Rodrigo
As you prepare for Lent this season, what do you hope to learn from The Lord? Consider going through a Lectio Divina.
Read Joel 2:12–13.
Quiet yourself and ask the Holy Spirit to guard and guide your meditation.
First reading. One-minute silent reflection before God. Take notice of whatever captures your attention in the passage or in your inner experience.
Second reading. One-minute silent reflection. Listen for a single word or phrase that particularly strikes you.
Third reading. Three to five minutes of silent reflection. Listen to how the passage seems to touch your life experience.
Fourth reading. Three to five minutes of silent reflection. What do you feel the passage might be inviting you to do? What is God inviting you to be? How is God inviting you to change? Spend some time in prayer over what you received from God’s word, and give thanks for his gift to you.
Zechariah 4:6 (ESV)
Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.
This verse often appears on coffee mugs or cards, but it provides an opportunity for us during Lent to shift from relying on our strength to embracing the Spirit’s power.
Zerubbabel, a descendent of David and the governor of Judah, faced an overwhelming task: rebuilding the temple, the sacred meeting place between God and His people (Ezra 5:2, Hag. 1:1). Around 538-536 BC, Jerusalem was in ruins and there seemed to be no way to complete the mission. When faced with my own “impossible” task, like getting to church on time with the kids who are still in pajamas at 8:55am, I’m quick to rely on sheer determination. Even in preparing my heart for Lent, I catch myself trying to force spiritual growth through effort alone.
But God’s Words through Zechariah reminds not only Zerubbabel that the way to God is not through strength but through the Spirit’s empowerment. Even more encouraging is the name of God in the passage: the LORD of hosts, the commander of heaven’s armies. He holds ultimate power and authority. The same Spirit who strengthened Zerubbabel empowers us to draw near to God through Jesus Christ, our perfect High Priest.
—Ryan Crider
Prayer
God, Jesus, thank you for being worthy of it all and commanding the armies of heaven! LORD I confess that I quickly turn to my own strength instead of to you and the Spirit. Please forgive me and show me areas of my life that I can surrender to you. Thank you. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Reflect
Where am I relying on my own strength instead of the Spirit of God?
How can I trust the LORD of hosts with what feels impossible today?
Read Zechariah 4:6.
Quiet yourself and ask the Holy Spirit to guard and guide your meditation.
First reading. One-minute silent reflection before God. Take notice of whatever captures your attention in the passage or in your inner experience.
Second reading. One-minute silent reflection. Listen for a single word or phrase that particularly strikes you.
Third reading. Three to five minutes of silent reflection. Listen to how the passage seems to touch your life experience.
Fourth reading. Three to five minutes of silent reflection. What do you feel the passage might be inviting you to do? What is God inviting you to be? How is God inviting you to change? Spend some time in prayer over what you received from God’s word, and give thanks for his gift to you.
Week 2
Zechariah 9:9 (ESV)
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Zechariah 9:9 is a powerful reminder of God’s faithfulness, spoken during a time when Jerusalm lay in ruins and its people struggled with discouragement (see the last devo). Into this despair, God declared hope: a righteous and humble King was coming to bring salvation.
Centuries later, Jesus fulfilled this prophecy, entering Jerusalem on a donkey (Matthew 21:1-11; John 12:12-19). He brought more than political restoration, He offered eternal salvation for all who believe. Zechariah 8:23 extends this promise saying that people from every nation would recognize God’s presence among His people and seek to follow Him.
In life’s transitions, moving, starting anew, facing uncertainty, we can feel displaced and hopeless much like the people in Zechariah’s time. During my time in the Army, my family and I experienced frequent moves. Each time, we left behind beloved friends, supportive communities, and vibrant churches. It often felt like we would never find that same sense of belonging again. Yet, God faithfully provided, proving that His promises hold firm no matter where we are.
If you’re in a season of waiting or change, please take heart because the same King who brought hope to Jerusalem is at work in your life. He is faithful to His promises, righteous in His ways, and mighty to save.
Prayer
Lord, thank you Jesus for being the faithful king who fulfills His promises. Thank you for bringing righteousness and salvation as you humbly entered Jerusalem on a donkey. Please forgive me for the times I do not trust you. Please remind my soul of your hope and faithfulness in every season of life. Thank you! In Jesus’ name, amen.
—Ryan Crider
Reflection Questions
Where do I need to be reminded of God’s faithfulness today?
How does Jesus’ humility and righteousness encourage me during uncertainty?
Read Zechariah 9:9.
Quiet yourself and ask the Holy Spirit to guard and guide your meditation.
First reading. One-minute silent reflection before God. Take notice of whatever captures your attention in the passage or in your inner experience.
Second reading. One-minute silent reflection. Listen for a single word or phrase that particularly strikes you.
Third reading. Three to five minutes of silent reflection. Listen to how the passage seems to touch your life experience.
Fourth reading. Three to five minutes of silent reflection. What do you feel the passage might be inviting you to do? What is God inviting you to be? How is God inviting you to change? Spend some time in prayer over what you received from God’s word, and give thanks for his gift to you.
Confession & Repentance
How has the Spirit convicted you this week? Confess this to God and to someone else, turn away and repent of it.
John 15:1-5 (ESV)
I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
We often feel the need to work harder at becoming a ‘better’ Christian—to prove ourselves, to make God proud, to finally get it together. Maybe you’re thinking, “another year has passed, and I didn’t do all the things I wanted to do.” Maybe following Jesus just feels like a lot right now.
Jesus calls himself the vine because the vine imparts to its branches sap and fruit. Likewise,Christ infuses into his followers his divine strength and life. Can you believe it?! Christ, infuses into us HIS strength and HIS life… Incredible! But for this to occur, we must be connected to the vine. We must abide in Him. But what’s it mean to abide?
Abide - verb - uh-BYDE
to remain, to not depart, to continue to be present, to continue to be, to endure, to remain as one.
Jesus is calling us to remain, to not depart, to endure, to remain as one… in HIM. We don’t have to sustain ourselves because Christ is the one who sustains our life. Apart from him we can do nothing, friends. Our walk with God is not about striving to produce fruit or working harder to earn what Jesus freely gives. Instead, it’s about remaining in Christ. When we abide in Him, the fruit will naturally follow—not by our effort, but by His power. He is the one who gives us everything we need to be fruitful. We can’t produce fruit by our own will and works, it is Jesus who imparts all that he is to us.
Take five deep breaths and remind yourself that Jesus isn’t asking you to strive—He’s asking you to abide. What is one small way you can practice abiding in Him today?
Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, I praise you for my life in you, I am so grateful for Your sacrifice and Your willingness to abide in the Father to the point of death on the cross. Today. I confess that consistently, I feel [insert confession what keeps you from going to Christ], so I come before you to ask you to help me abide in you, to help me remain, to help me be present before you. I ask these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.
—Juliana Quintero
Reflection Questions
What areas of your life feel driven by striving rather than abiding in Jesus? How might you invite Him into those spaces today?
Jesus promises that abiding in Him leads to fruitfulness. What does it look like for you to trust in His power rather than your own efforts to produce spiritual growth?
Read John 15:1-5.
Quiet yourself and ask the Holy Spirit to guard and guide your meditation.
First reading. One-minute silent reflection before God. Take notice of whatever captures your attention in the passage or in your inner experience.
Second reading. One-minute silent reflection. Listen for a single word or phrase that particularly strikes you.
Third reading. Three to five minutes of silent reflection. Listen to how the passage seems to touch your life experience.
Fourth reading. Three to five minutes of silent reflection. What do you feel the passage might be inviting you to do? What is God inviting you to be? How is God inviting you to change? Spend some time in prayer over what you received from God’s word, and give thanks for his gift to you.
Silence & Solitude/Meditation (30-60 min)
Free yourself of distractions, be present with God.