Meeting Jesus at the Well

Prayer is the most essential thing a Christian ought to foster. For one, it’s not really a thing, but rather a living relationship. Prayer is our intimate relationship with God. This Lent can we make a commitment to carve out some time our of our busy day to pray? It does not have to be a large chunk. Maybe 5 minutes before work, after work, before bedtime, or even on the commute to or from work/school. The duration is not important. What is important is that you check in with God because He really wants to check in with you. Give him a call or shoot Him a text! (Pray…)

When people hear the word “fasting” the first thing that might come to mind is “Oh, I can’t eat meat” or “What should I give up for Lent this year.” Technically, there are only two “fast” days during Lent — Ash Wednesday and Good Friday — where we abstain from meat and have only one meal and two smaller meals that do not add up to one regular meal. But the fasting mentioned here is about the “what can I give up” or “what can I do more of.” Sure it might be good to give up chocolate or social media or something that you really enjoy, but it is also good to add something that you might not normally do. Maybe read a chapter of a Book of the Bible every week. Or some other practice that can help you grow spiritually. Giving up something for Lent is not just for the sake of giving something up, it ought to remind us of the great love God has for us and when we think about not being able to have that snack or whatever it is we might be giving up, let us think about those around us, those less fortunate than us, and about how blessed we really are. Again, the same with prayer, it doesn’t need to be something big or dramatic, just something that you think you’d be able to handle.

Giving alms means to help those less fortunate than us. What are some acts of charity we can do this Lent? Whether it be donating to a charitable organization, volunteering at a soup kitchen, or participating in homeless outreach, what is available around you? Sometimes it could be as close as home. Maybe instead of going out to dinner or lunch we can set that money aside for the poor. (Not saying everyday, but maybe if we normally go out to eat 3 times a week, can we offer up 1 meal?) Is there a need in your own community that you might be able to help out, either by donating money or food or clothing? God never asks something of us that is beyond our means or abilities, but rather something that we can do.