A Prayer Challenge for the Lenten Season

By: Sarah Geringer 

And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.

Mark 1:13 ESV

The Lenten season is here. It started on March 2 this year (2022) and is now underway.

Whether you formally observe Lent or not, you can use these forty days for focused prayer. God called me to pray every day of Lent this year to prepare for a new season ahead of me. While I can't share what that is about with you, I can share some ideas to help you engage on a prayer challenge every day of the rest of this Lenten season.

Here are five areas in which you can pray now through Easter Sunday (April 17, 2022):

Daily Confession

Most of us do not confess our sins often enough. Since Lent is typically a reflective season, it's perfect for a new focus on confessing our sins. I grew up associating Lent with a time to reflect on the specific sins I had committed that caused Jesus to die on my behalf. This was a sobering process that humbled me even as a child and strengthened my trust in God. A few minutes of daily confession each day of Lent will clean out your heart, mind, spirit and soul before the Lord, and he will be pleased with your humility in admitting your sins.

Spiritual Growth

Forty days have symbolic meaning in the Bible. There are several people who fasted and prayed for forty days, and in today's focus verse, we learn about when Jesus did this. I have read that a forty-day fast is only supernaturally possible, and the verse today shows us that angels assisted Jesus during his fast. Though he was in the presence of wild animals and constantly tempted by the devil, this forty days prepared Jesus for his public ministry. You can also use forty days of Lenten prayers for your spiritual growth, asking God to protect you from temptation as you move forward in faith.

Intercessory Prayer

Intercessory prayer is praying for someone else. You could pray for a single loved one, several loved ones, neighbors, or even strangers every day of Lent. My seasons of intercessory prayer, especially done for people who never knew I was praying for them, have been filled with joy in the Lord's presence. It's a good way to show someone love and support behind the scenes. You can tell the person you are praying for them if the Lord leads you to do so. But first ask God if it's best to keep it just between the two of you, so you can watch God at work behind the scenes in people's lives.

Persecuted Church

There is a lot of focus now on the Christians being persecuted in the Ukraine. They desperately need our prayer, as do many other countries around the world where the gospel is being suppressed or restricted. This new Bible is my favorite resource to help me pray daily for the persecuted church. You can also get free materials and prayer prompts from this site.

Local Church

If you are involved in a local church, I guarantee it needs your prayers. Every day of Lent, you can pray for your pastors, worship team, volunteers, and members. You can pray spiritual protection for everyone, as well as increased discipleship. If you know of a specific area for which your church has a need or dream, cover it in prayer all forty days of Lent.

Want to be a total superstar in your prayer challenge for the Lenten season? Take one minute to pray in each of these categories. I guarantee your faith will grow if you do this now through Easter Sunday.

Want more Lenten resources? Check out my popular course and helpful posts HERE.

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Have a blessed weekend!

Sarah Geringer
Finding Peace in God's Word

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