What the 40 Days Really Mean

Lent isn’t about perfection. It’s about preparation.

📖 What the 40 Days Really Mean

We are already in Lent.

Some of us gave something up.
Some of us meant to.
Some of us forgot it even started.
And some of us are quietly wondering if we’ve “missed it.”

But Lent isn’t about perfect timing.

It’s about intentional transformation.

The 40 days are not random.

Throughout Scripture, forty represents preparation, testing, refining, and transition.

“Rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights.”
— Genesis 7:12

“Moses entered the cloud… and he was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.”
— Exodus 24:18

The Israelites wandered 40 years before entering the Promised Land.

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness… After fasting forty days and forty nights…”
— Matthew 4:1–2

Forty is the space between what was and what will be.

It is the wilderness.

And wilderness seasons are not punishment.

They are preparation.

🌿 Lent Is Not About Losing Something

It’s about finding something.

We often think Lent is about giving something up:

Sugar.
Social media.
Coffee.
Negativity.

But giving something up is only powerful if it makes room for something greater.

Lent offers us:

Space to slow down.
Space to examine our attachments.
Space to confront our idols.
Space to recognize where we rely on ourselves more than God.
Space to remember why the cross matters.

It’s not about self-denial for suffering’s sake.

It’s about recalibration.

“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”
— James 4:8

Lent is 40 days of drawing near.

✨ What These 40 Days Offer Spiritually

1. Awareness

Lent gently exposes what controls us.

What do we reach for automatically?
What makes us restless?
What fills the silence?

When we remove something—even temporarily—we see what had a stronger hold on us than we realized.

That awareness is grace.

Not shame.
Grace.

2. Dependence

Jesus fasted 40 days in the wilderness.

When Satan tempted Him, He didn’t argue emotionally.

He responded with Scripture.

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
— Matthew 4:4

Lent reminds us that we do not survive on comfort.

We survive on truth.

It shifts us from self-sufficiency to Spirit-sufficiency.

3. Alignment

The world moves fast.

Lent slows us down long enough to ask:

Where am I out of alignment?

Am I reacting more than praying?
Am I controlling more than trusting?
Am I chasing more than surrendering?

These 40 days invite us to step back into rhythm with God.

Not with guilt.

With intention.

4. Refining

The wilderness is uncomfortable.

But it clarifies things.

The Israelites learned what was in their hearts during their 40 years.
Jesus demonstrated obedience during His 40 days.

Refining doesn’t destroy us.

It reveals us.

And when we see ourselves clearly, we can invite God to reshape us.

5. Anticipation

Lent leads to Easter.

It leads to resurrection.

It leads to victory.

But resurrection only means something if we’ve sat with surrender.

Without the wilderness, we don’t understand the cross.
Without the cross, we don’t understand grace.

Lent prepares our hearts so that when Easter comes, it’s not just a holiday.

It’s personal.

🤍 If You Feel Like You’re Behind

You’re not.

You don’t need all 40 days perfectly executed.

You just need today.

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning.”
— Lamentations 3:22–23

You can begin again right now.

Lent is not about religious performance.

It’s about relational closeness.

💭 A Gentle Invitation

Instead of asking:

What should I give up?

Maybe ask:

What is God trying to grow in me?
Where do I need deeper trust?
What has been louder than His voice?
Where am I resisting surrender?

And maybe pray something simple:

“Lord, use whatever remains of this Lent season to prepare my heart. Refine me gently. Align me quietly. Draw me closer.”

🙏 Prayer

Father, thank You that You use wilderness seasons for preparation, not punishment. Help me slow down long enough to see what You are shaping in me. Draw me near. Realign my heart. Prepare me for resurrection. Amen.

👣 Practical Step

Choose one intentional daily moment—five quiet minutes, one chapter of Scripture, one honest prayer—and let that be your beginning.

💌 Share With Someone

If someone feels behind or spiritually stuck this Lent, remind them: it’s not too late. Resurrection is still coming.