Lent is the Christian liturgical season beginning with Ash Wednesday and leading up to Holy Week. It’s an observance of the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness praying, fasting, and being tempted by Satan, before emerging to begin his public ministry.
Lent is often associated with “high church” (e.g., Catholic and Orthodox) denominations, but it’s observed by many Protestants as well, and its Biblical basis provides good reason to do so (even if, chronologically, it’s a bit odd to go straight from the wilderness to the Passion). It’s an important acknowledgment of our origins as dust and our return to dust before resurrection in Christ — reminding us of our complete dependence on him for our whole being.
In modern Western culture we typically associate Lent with “giving something up” for 40 days. That comes from the traditional practice of fasting — giving up food — during this period, in emulation of Christ’s fasting in the desert. It’s a worthwhile practice — but it’s by no means the only one. (Honestly, I hate fasting — it makes me shaky, tired, and unfocused — and that’s partly why I wanted to write about other options!)
Also, fun fact, Lent isn’t technically 40 days: it’s six weeks and change (some Christians say it ends on Maundy Thursday, others on Holy Saturday), which is more like 42-45 days. Some denominations exclude Sundays as “mini-Easters” in between.
If you want to grow closer to Jesus, it’s important not just to invite him into your own life, but to enter into his as well. Here are a few suggestions for how to participate in this somber season.
But first, a little background.
Lent in the Bible: Where Does the Holiday Come From?
The period of Lent is based on Jesus’s trials in the wilderness. After his baptism by John, Jesus immediately ventures deep into the desert for 40 days of solitude, fasting, prayer, meditation, and spiritual combat with Satan. This period is recounted in Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, and Luke 4:1-13.
The Bible doesn’t tell us exactly why Jesus does this — but he is clearly following the model set by the Scriptures. Moses was alone upon Mount Sinai for 40 days and nights before receiving the Ten Commandments (Exodus 34:27-28), and Elijah fled to the mountain of Horeb for 40 days of fasting and praying before receiving the word of the Lord to return to Damascus (1 Kings 19:1-18).
In any case it seems clear that Jesus is preparing himself for what will obviously be a major adjustment to his lifestyle. It also indicates to his followers how important it is for us to be purified, centered in ourselves and in him, before presuming to lead others (cf. Matt. 7:3-5).
Origins of Lent in the Church
It’s easy to see how the practice of fasting and prayer in emulation of Jesus evolved in the early church — if a bit less clear why it falls directly before Holy Week.
Before Lent became an official season of the church, it was common practice to fast the week before Easter. By the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, this period had been stretched into the 40-day (or so) period we now know.
There is some debate about whether that longer fast was already in practice and simply codified as an official church holiday, or whether it was established top-down based on the scriptural references of 40-day fasts cited above. Either way, Lent became adopted as a universal Christian practice after that.
The word “Lent” itself comes from an Old English word simply meaning “springtime.” In the Greek and Latin of the early church, the season is known instead as Tessarakostí (Greek) and Quadragesima (Latin), both of which mean “fortieth.”
7 Ways to Walk With Jesus Through the Wilderness of Lent
Now that we understand the Biblical and ecclesial background of Lent, here are seven ways Christians can participate and grow closer to Jesus leading up to his Passion at Holy Week.
1. Prayer
OK, this one is a freebie. As Christians we should always be praying (1 Thess. 5:17). But Lent is a great time to redouble your prayer practice — whether that’s extemporaneous conversations with God, repetitive recitation like the rosary or Jesus Prayer, praying through the Psalms, or simply sitting in silent contemplation.
Throughout the Old and New Testaments, prayer is shown as the bedrock of relationship with God, so no matter what else you are doing to observe the season — even if it’s nothing at all — take it to God in prayer. If you are fasting or giving up something else, it’s customary and recommended to pray to God for help sticking with it.
2. Fasting
Fasting is the most ancient and original method of preparation for communion with God. By depriving ourselves of the necessary means of our survival, we demonstrate our dedication to God and reliance on him — while reminding ourselves that we do not live by bread alone (Matt. 4:4).
There are several ways of doing this. (Jesus may have been able to eat literally nothing at all for 40 days, but most people cannot physically do that, so don’t try it!)
Some Christians ingest nothing except water during the day, and eat only a simple meal (of grains and vegetables) in the evening. Others allow themselves snacks of bread and maybe salt or oil to get through the day.
Other Christians are less stringent and instead allow themselves simple meals throughout the day — but abstain entirely from meat, alcohol, and sweets until Easter. Finally, some Catholics permit meat on Sundays (as mini-Easters), but still refrain from alcohol.
You can take the approach that works best for you. The important thing is to set a practice and stick to it — don’t bail on Day 5 because your buddy invites you to a steak dinner.
3. Giving Up Other Habits
If (like me) fasting isn’t for you — perhaps for health reasons or a history of food scarcity — you can choose to give up something else during Lent as a substitute (or, if you’re really serious, in addition). The important thing is that it’s something valuable — something that’s hard for you to go without. (This isn’t an excuse for you to get out of your exercise routine.)
It’s become popular to give up screen habits during Lent — a great way to replace your TV time, for example, with time spent in prayer or Bible study. You might choose to give up social media or news apps. Other possibilities to forego include sweets, shopping (other than for necessities like groceries) or eating out, or a favorite pastime like golf or bowling.
In short, Lent can provide an opportunity not only to grow spiritually, but (like New Year’s Day) also to reevaluate your lifestyle and habits, and cut out some unhealthy practices you’ve developed. Who knows, maybe in the end you’ll even want to stick with it after Easter!
4. Almsgiving, Charity, and Volunteering
How about giving up money? For some of us that might be even harder than giving up food — which, again, is exactly the point. Giving extra money to your church, or to organizations that help the poor, or another charity of your choice is, like fasting, an important reminder (with very strong Biblical basis) that everything we have comes from God.
If money’s tight, see what you can cut out. If you’re giving up streaming TV shows or shopping, donate the money you would have spent on them instead.
If money’s really tight — or if you’re giving up other things instead — consider giving your time. Spend an evening every week volunteering at the local soup kitchen, food pantry, animal or homeless shelter, or again, any cause that is important to you (or better yet, to God).
5. Bible Study/Meditation
Deprivation is sort of baked into the bread of Lent, for all the reasons I’ve discussed above. But as I’ve also said, Lent is also a time to reevaluate your habits, cut out the bad ones, and double down on the good ones.
Above all, it’s about growing closer to God. And one of the best ways to do that is to meet him in his Word. Scripture is where we encounter the Holy Spirit, learn from him, work with him, and wrestle with him. Along with prayer and communal worship, Scripture engagement is the very foundation of the Christian life.
If you don’t have a regular Scripture reading practice, there’s no better time than now to start one. Again, you can replace the time you would have spent doomscrolling with time spent reading and reflecting on Scripture.
And if the Bible is already a regular part of your daily routine, this might be a good opportunity to take the next step and go deeper in your studies with a Study Bible, a Bible study (yes, those are different things), or a Bible Gateway Plus membership. (Try doing a deep dive on the passages mentioned above about Moses, Elijah, and Jesus in the wilderness!)
6. Time in Solitude
There’s a reason Moses, Elijah, and Jesus all undertook their 40-day retreats alone. There are things you learn about yourself when confronted by yourself that never quite come to the surface in a crowd.
In fairness, the opposite of this is true as well, which is why church community has been a part of the Christian story since the beginning — but in general we spend more time with each other than with ourselves.
That doesn’t mean time holed up in your apartment eating frozen pizza and binge-watching Marvel movies by yourself, or locked away in your bedroom scrolling through TikTok videos. Jesus didn’t bring a smartphone to the desert. In fact, he didn’t even bring a Torah.
Time in solitude means time with no other sensory inputs. Maybe Scripture — but better yet, this is something you can do after reading a Bible passage. Instead, chuck your phone in a drawer and take a stroll through nature, or just sit in a quiet place where there’s nothing distracting or calling at you (including undone chores). Maybe listen to some quiet music (without words). And think about God. Where is God in your story? Where should he be, that you haven’t let him in? Where are you in God’s story?
7. Spiritual Warfare
Like I said, things come up when you spend time alone — including lots of things you might wish didn’t. But again, that’s the point: it’s easy to miss the quiet, corrupting influence of demonic forces when you’re going about your busy day. In fact, they’re counting on it.
There’s a good chance this is why Jesus immediately ran off to the desert after being baptized and entering the public eye. He needed to know — and needed us to know — and needed Satan to know — that he would not be led astray. He was tempted three times: to turn stones to bread (Mt. 4:3-4), to test God’s faithfulness to him (Mt. 4:5-7), and to worship the devil in exchange for earthly power and fame (Mt. 4:8-10).
Spiritual warfare is complex, often misunderstood, and can be dangerous. But at its most basic, it is simply the process of taking a hard look at where you are being tempted — not by other people, but by the whispers of the Enemy in your own heart — to act selfishly, destructively, and contrary to God’s good design — and to put up a shield against him.
During Lent, try to root out those temptations, reject them, and tell that devil to go pound sand.
Conclusion: From Death to Life in the Time of Lent
On Ash Wednesday, we solemnly remember that from dust and ashes we were formed, and to ashes and dust we return.
On Easter, we rejoice in amazement at the final defeat of death in the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ.
In between is Lent, when we have the opportunity to confess and reflect on our helpless mortality — even as we prepare to embrace life everlasting in the free grace of our Lord.
Why not begin Lent with a Bible study on Matthew 4:1-11 or Luke 4:1-13? Bible Gateway Plus has dozens of resources to help you understand the nuanced meanings of Jesus’s 40 days in the wilderness — and help you apply it to the next 40 days of your life as well. You can try it free for 14 days!
Jacob Edson is Editorial Director of Bible Gateway. He holds a Master of Theological Studies in Early Christian Thought from Harvard Divinity School, and a Bachelor of Arts in Religious History from Memorial University of Newfoundland, though with most of his coursework from the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. His work has previously appeared in Ekstasis and Geez Magazine. He lives with his wife and children in New England.
