Father, Son and Spirit, as I begin to move and breath at the start of a new week, create in me a clean heart…
“And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.” (Luke 22:14-15)
Jesus, at the beginning of the Lord's Supper says to those around him, "And he said to them, "I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer." v.15. Jesus in complete love earnestly desired to be with and pour into the lives of those around him. And he earnestly desires to be with you. In two day we will enter into the season of Lent in the church. A good question for each of us to honestly discern this Lent is, "What do I earnestly desire?" “What is it that you earnestly desire in life?” The answer to that question is incredibly important because what you desire will control the one thing that controls everything else in your life; your heart.
What is Lent? At Jesus' baptism the sky was violently torn open, the Spirit of God descended like a dove and landed on Jesus, and a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, My Beloved, with whom I am pleased." Afterward, as told in Matthew 4:1-11, Jesus was sent, literally driven into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit. There he fasted and prayed for 40 days. During his time there he pressed deep into the Holy Spirit so when he was tempted by Satan, he had the power, found clarity and strength to resist temptation. After his 40 days of prayer, he was ready to begin his ministry and announce for people to repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand.
Lent is a 40 day period before we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus when we set aside 40 days to more intentionally focus on prayer, repentance, pressing into the Holy Spirit, and discerning clarity of our lives and ministries. Maybe you needed some time with God to sort through the major changes happening in your life. Maybe you needed to set time away from family, friends and your familiar routine in order to see God more clearly. Perhaps you want some intentional time with God to search for direction and answers of your calling. Like Jesus, we need to take some serious time to pray and listen for God.
Unless the Spirit moves me in another direction, I am going to spend the next couple days meditating and reflection more on Lent and are need to set aside time to fast, pray, repent, and spend time in the Word.
My family, I pray this morning you will set aside a block of time and be bold enough to ask the Holy Spirit to help you honestly reflect on the question, What are the things I am desiring now that are controlling my heart? And then, “What do I earnestly desire?” In Jesus’ name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please share your thoughts and reflections in the comment box below.
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