Liturgical day · kjv
What Is Lent?
Lent is the 40-day season before Easter — a period of fasting, prayer, and repentance that mirrors Jesus's 40 days in the wilderness. It prepares the heart to truly receive the joy of resurrection.
History & Origin
The observance of Lent emerged in the 4th century as the period of preparation for adult converts being baptized at Easter. The entire congregation joined them in the discipline, creating a shared season of fasting and prayer. The 40 days intentionally echo multiple biblical 40-day seasons: Jesus's wilderness temptation (Matthew 4), Moses's 40 days on Sinai (Exodus 24), Elijah's 40-day journey to Horeb (1 Kings 19), and Israel's 40 years in the wilderness. Counting 40 weekdays back from Easter lands on Ash Wednesday — the traditional start.
How It Is Observed
Traditional Lenten practices include fasting (from food, alcohol, meat on certain days), giving up something valued (social media, a favorite indulgence), adding a spiritual discipline (daily Scripture reading, extra prayer, service to the poor), and participating in weekly Holy Week services. The season ends at Easter — Sundays are not counted among the 40 days, as they remain small celebrations of the resurrection within the fast.
Scripture for Lent
Matthew 4:2
“And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.”
Joel 2:12
“Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning.”
2 Corinthians 7:10
“For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”
Psalm 51:10
“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”
James 4:8
“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Why 40 days?
Forty echoes Jesus's 40 days of wilderness fasting — the biblical pattern for a season of testing, preparation, and renewal. The same number appears with Moses, Elijah, and Israel in the wilderness.
When does Lent start and end?
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday (46 days before Easter) and ends on Holy Saturday. Sundays within Lent are not counted as fast days — they remain celebrations of the resurrection.
What should I give up for Lent?
There is no single answer — and the point is not to give up something for its own sake. Choose something whose absence opens space for prayer and attention to God: a habit that distracts, a comfort that numbs, a food that dominates. The fast should bear spiritual fruit, not just be endured.
Is Lent only for Catholics?
No. Lent is observed across the Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, and Methodist traditions, and increasingly among evangelicals who find value in the disciplined preparation. It is an ancient ecumenical practice.