How to Choose a Spiritual Practice During Lent
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“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits”—the psalmist goes on to name the benefits of forgiveness, healing, steadfast love, mercy, satisfaction, and renewal. There are so many gifts in our mortal existence, but we have to create space in our lives and in ourselves in order to receive them.
Often, without realizing it, we crowd out the benefits of our lives in God by looking to our phones and T.V.’s, food and drinks, relationships—and any number of things and people—to heal, satisfy, and renew us, when they will never be able to in the ways that our Ultimate Source of Love can. This is why many people decide to fast during Lent.
One way to approach fasting is to give up something that is no longer serving a purpose in your life. Maybe it has become more of a coping mechanism or a distraction. Maybe it is adding clutter to your life or isn’t really healthy for you. Maybe it has become a compulsion or addiction. For these 40 days of Lent you would give up what you have identified and replace it with a spiritual practice that will let you receive the more fulfilling benefits of your life in God. This could be adopting a practice of prayer, meditation, or solitude, or whatever will genuinely satisfy your mind, body, and spirit.
I invite you to think differently about your lenten spiritual practice than maybe you have other years, making it more fine tuned to your own unique spiritual needs and formation.
Considerations in choosing a fast:
What is something in your life that is no longer serving a purpose or may even be harmful?
What might be difficult to give up and in doing so would redirect your attention to God?
What have you been curious about giving up and could use this period of time to try—for instance, are you sober curious?
Considerations in adopting a spiritual practice:
What is a practice that could replace what you are fasting from? For instance, every time you want sugar you could say a prayer or recite a mantra
Maybe you need to practice being less rigid and adopt eating dessert instead of giving it up!
Your practice doesn’t have to present as spiritual. For example, one year I gave up running as a way of managing anxiety and practiced sitting with my feelings instead
Your practice can be a chance to establish a new habit over 40 days, so what is a habit you want to introduce into your life going forward? A few years ago I gave up social media, and found it so refreshing that I never went back on
Getting started:
Name a practice you are adopting this year and/or something you are fasting from
Set your intention: what do you hope to receive or cultivate (within you or in your life) through observing Lent?
Surrender your practice and intention to God, entrusting God to guide your process and meet you in this time
And so, lenten pilgrim, may you have the courage to release what no longer serves you and make room for what truly does. May you draw deeply from your Ultimate Source of Life—before anything else—so you can be healed, renewed, satisfied, and fulfilled in the recesses of your heart and mind. And may your journey lead you into deeper intimacy with God.
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