We are happy to journey with you in this season! Each morning from now until March 31st (excluding Sundays), you will receive a devotional from a member of the PT family. It is our prayer that these offer inspiration and encouragement as we reflect on the finished work of Christ on the cross and His resurrection.

The Lenten season is the period of 40 days before Resurrection Sunday (Easter). It is a season of preparation and reflection as we get ready to celebrate the empty tomb and Christ’s victory over death.

Let this Scripture be your anchor:

2 Corinthians 5:15-21 (The Voice)
He died for us so that we will all live, not for ourselves, but for Him who died and rose from the dead. Because of all that God has done, we now have a new perspective. We used to show regard for people based on worldly standards and interests. No longer. We used to think of the Anointed the same way. No longer. Therefore, if anyone is united with the Anointed One, that person is a new creation. The old life is gone – and see – a new life has begun! All of this is a gift from our Creator God, who has pursued us and brought us into a restored and healthy relationship with Him through the Anointed. And He has given us the same mission, the ministry of reconciliation, to bring others back to Him. It is central to our good news that God was in the Anointed making things right between Himself and the world. This means He does not hold their sins against them. But it also means He charges us to proclaim the message that heals and restores our broken relationships with God and each other. So we are now representatives of the Anointed One, the Liberating King; God has given us a charge to carry through our lives – urging all people on behalf of the Anointed to become reconciled to the Creator God. He orchestrated this: the Anointed One, who had never experienced sin, became sin for us so that in Him we might embody the very righteousness of God.

Over this period, there are three main focus action items: Prayer (seeking the Lord), Fasting (self control) and Charity (almsgiving).

We encourage you to spend part of your prayer time reflecting on the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Use this time to continue to cultivate the gift of a healthy relationship with God that He offers because of this sacrifice. As the scripture says, “He pursued us and brought us into a restored and healthy relationship with Him through the Anointed…” so be proactive in fully leaning into Him. Whatever you choose to abstain from in this time, fill that empty space/time with the things of God – scripture, sermons, fellowship with the brethren. Visit our Youtube Channel to catch up on past sermons, join one or more of our Prayer Times and check out our Small Group offerings.

Finally, as the Word says in Isaiah 58:6-7
Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter – when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

Seek the Lord’s guidance on how you can be a change advocate and make the extra effort to share the goodness of God with others. This includes but is not limited to – the gospel of salvation, food, shelter, clothing, the gift of your time.

Recommended Song: At the Cross (Love Ran Red) | Chris Tomlin

Prayer: Thank you Jesus for Your willingness to be the ultimate sacrifice for our sins; because of what You did, we can now have eternal life and for that we are forever grateful. We pray that in this season of preparation, reflection and renewal, You will give us a deeper hunger for You, You will reveal Yourself to us in a refreshing way and we will come out of this season transformed. Amen!