I am Surprised with What I am Fasting For Lent This Year.

Happy Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent! I cannot believe we are forty days from celebrating Easter week. 

Growing up, I do not remember fasting for Lent.  I had heard people talk about giving up chocolate, soda, or social media, but I personally had not participated until 2 years ago. 

My first Lent, I gave up saying hurtful and unkind words. I joined Karen Ehman’s study, *Zip It: The Keep It Shut 40 day Challenge; the goal was to pause and think before you speak.  Last year, I celebrated Lent by participating in Mark Batterson’s book, *Draw the Circle: the 40 day Prayer Challenge. Focusing on prayer each day is an excellent way to prepare our hearts for Easter.

This year, a new book caught my eye.  I heard about it first from a Facebook Live and then the same book title appeared in an email.  Both times, the description of the book grabbed my attention.  It read, “What if you fasted regret?  What if your friends fasted comparison?” 

I love the idea of fasting the negative emotions and lies that can easily entrap us.

These heart fasts came from the book, *40 Days of Decrease by Alicia Britt Chole. Listen to how she describes it: “I offer forty different fasts in the hope that collectively they will prepare us to be duly awed by Christ’s resurrection by being daily available to daily crucifixion.”

I want to be “awed by Christ’s resurrection.”  I want you to be “awed by Christ’s resurrection” too.

My prayer is that as we prepare our hearts for Easter, we can give up whatever is holding us back from becoming the amazing person God created us to be.  I don’t know about you, but I am pleasantly surprised by what I am giving up for Lent this year!

Who wants to join me in fasting appearances, discontentment, and criticism? Who wants to give up comparisons and regret? I cannot wait for us to say goodbye to these things.

Friends, who would like to accompany me in the *40 Days of Decrease? I would love to have you participate with me as my hope is to email a few truths and encouragement from the book each week as we prepare our hearts for Easter.

Love, Jodi

*Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support my ministry. Thank you!

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