Return to the Whisper: Why Lent Matters

Lent is not about religious routine. It is about renewal.

Beginning February 18 and leading us to Good Friday on April 3, Lent invites us into forty intentional days of slowing down, examining our hearts, and returning to the whisper of God.

We live in a loud world. Notifications compete for our attention. Opinions compete for our loyalty. Urgency competes for our peace. Over time, the noise does not just surround us, it shapes us. And when the noise gets loud enough, the voice of God can begin to feel distant, even though He has not stopped speaking.

Lent is the Church’s ancient answer to distraction.

For forty days, mirroring Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness, we practice repentance, discipline, and surrender. Not to earn God’s love, but to clear the space to experience it more deeply. Sundays are not included in the forty days because every Sunday is a reminder that resurrection is our foundation. Lent moves us toward the Cross, but it does so with hope already anchored in victory.

This year, our devotional is designed to guide you through that journey. Each day includes Scripture, a reflection, reflection questions, and prayer. The goal is not simply to read more, it is to listen better.

Lent asks two important questions:

What will you lay down?
What will you lean into?

You may fast from something that has been crowding your heart like social media, entertainment, unnecessary spending, or habits that dull your spiritual sensitivity. But Lent is not just subtraction, it is alignment. Lean into prayer. Lean into silence. Lean into Scripture. Lean into reconciliation where needed.

The Shepherd is speaking.

This season is your opportunity to quiet competing voices and return to the One who has been faithfully walking with you all along.

Do not rush through these forty days. Guard them. Let them shape you. Let them search you. Let them steady you.

The whisper is not gone. It is waiting.