Pastor Brock's Daily Devotions and Challenges for the Lenten Season

 

Be sure to follow Pastor Brock's inspirational Daily Devotions and Challenges for the Lenten Season - every day until Easter.

New Devotions will appear every morning beginning February 22nd, 2023.

Slide or scroll through the Daily Devotions to view different days or select from the Devotions Catalog

Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday, April 9, 2023 “Happy Easter! How Am I Supposed to Respond?”   Whew! We made it to Easter! No more Lenten sacrifices, at least, not until next year. Everything is finally back to where it’s supposed to be. Eat what I want to eat. Drink what I want to drink. Jelly Bellies for an...

Lent Day 46

Holy Saturday, April 8, 2023 “No TV or Electronics”   Today, the final day of the Lenten Season, we recognize the silence that occurs while Jesus Christ lies in the tomb after his death. Darkness. Silence. Sorrow. All of these and more are represented in the tomb. We know that Easter will...

Lent Day 45

Good Friday, April 7, 2023 “24-Hour Fast”   The 24-hour fasting day has returned for its’ second time during the Lenten Challenges. The first appearance this Season was a week ago (Friday, March 31, 2023). If we succeeded last week, we can do it again. If we blew it last week, this is the day...

Lent Day 44

Maundy Thursday, April 6, 2023 “Share a Meal”   On Maundy Thursday, we are Challenged to share a meal with someone. Lots of things will qualify for this Challenge, so remain open to what God provides. We arrive at this Lenten Challenge to reflect upon the breaking of bread together in...

Lent Day 43

Wednesday, April 5, 2023 “Pray for God’s Will”   The Lenten Challenge for today is simple for us, unless, of course, God’s Will is different from our own. Yes, on the last hump day of Lent, we try to focus on what God needs. Pastors, ministry organizers, church staffers, and missionaries have...

Lent Day 42

Tuesday, April 4, 2023 “Give to Church, Chapel, or Ministry”   Today’s Challenge - Give to a Church, Chapel, or Ministry - is intended to help us consider the work performed by God’s people for God’s people. Those who dedicate themselves to vocational ministry dedicate their lives to becoming...

Lent Day 41

Monday, April 3, 2023 “Read John 19”   As we begin Holy Week on this last Monday of Lent, we are challenged to read one of the more difficult passages in all of Scripture. It’s not difficult to read. That part is easy. The hard part is allowing our emotions to run free with the details of...

Lent Day 40

Sunday, April 2, 2023 “Invite Someone to Worship”   Why should we invite someone to worship? Simple. The LORD asks us to invite others. God entrusts us with the joy and life that we’ve received. In response to God’s blessings, we are supposed to pass those blessings to others so that they,...

Lent Day 39

Saturday, April 1, 2023 “Do Something Extravagantly Nice!”   This Lenten Challenge is making a first-time appearance on our Lenten Calendar, although I must admit that I have really been excited about this one for a long time. Since today is April Fool’s Day and the silly jokes are going to...

Lent Day 38

Friday, March 31, 2023 “24-Hour Fast”   Argh! It’s here. The 24-hour fast has arrived. No food consumption for twenty-four hours is the Challenge. All drinks are okay, but given that we won’t have any food on our stomachs, it would be wise to be careful with the drinks we allow. One good...

Lent Day 37

Thursday, March 30, 2023 “Read Psalm 100”   Ah! Finally! For the past week, Lenten enthusiasts have been hanging on the edge of anticipation wondering about Psalm 100, a cinderella story in the making. A week ago (Thursday, March 23, 2023, “Read Psalm 23”), we were alarmed to discover that...

Lent Day 36

Wednesday, March 29, 2023 “Thank a Soldier”   Today’s Lenten Challenge is another one that serves as an important reminder of the freedoms and liberties that we enjoy. Today, thank a current member or veteran of the Armed Forces or Coast Guard. This simple and important Challenge can help...

Lent Day 35

Tuesday, March 28, 2023 “Stretch and Breathe”   Why not? Stretching and breathing are good for the body and soul, so it seems only right that we take some time to engage in both. Stretching accomplishes many benefits. It increases our performance in physical activities. It also decreases our...

Lent Day 34

Monday, March 27, 2023 “Pray for a (Recent) Widow or Widower”   As we land on the fifth Monday of Lent, our task will be to honor someone who has recently lost their beloved by praying for the recently widowed or widowed. The word “recent” is relative and limiting: time can stand still when...

Lent Day 33

Sunday, March 26, 2023 “Church: Go and Tell”   How often do you talk about church? Most of us would probably hide in embarrassment if we had to answer the question honestly. Church often falls into those categories of discussion that aren’t always easy in social situations. Believe it or not,...

Lent Day 32

Saturday, March 25, 2023 “Plant Something”   Today’s Challenge for Lent is to plant something. What qualifies? A seed or seedling will suffice, dropped into the earth or in fresh water. Trees are great to plant, and so are fruit and vegetable bushes. Yes, anything you want to plant will...

Lent Day 31

Friday, March 24, 2023 “Water Only To Drink”   Stop. Before you begin sending angry emails to the author, please recognize that yours truly is probably suffering more than you. Today’s Lenten Challenge, to consume water only as our beverage, will be the author’s most difficult challenge of...

Lent Day 30

Thursday, March 23, 2023 “Read Psalm 23”   Here’s a Challenge for Lent that almost anyone can accomplish: Read Psalm 23. Believe it or not, this Challenge didn’t make it into the Sweet 16. This Challenge missed the cut by just one (17 days remaining in Lent). We fans would think that it would...

Lent Day 29

Wednesday, March 22, 2023 “Pray for Victims of Natural Disasters”   Today’s Lenten Challenge is to pray for those who have suffered (and continue to suffer) from natural disasters. The list of recent disasters is longer than most of us can name, but even those that occurred many years ago...

Lent Day 28

Tuesday, March 21, 2023 “Take a Walk Outside”   Today’s Lenten Challenge, to take a walk outside, might seem silly. Lots of us get out every day and those of us who work indoors get outside once we stop pushing pencils and keyboards. But today, let’s be intentional in how we spend time...

Lent Day 27

Monday, March 20, 2023 “Complete a Procrastinated Task”   What an excellent way to begin the week: Complete a Procrastinated Task! Yes, this could be anything: A delayed trip into town, a phone call to a friend or family member, or even completing tax returns will suffice. Other lagging...

Lent Day 26

Sunday, March 19, 2023 “Pray for Healing of Self”   Today’s Lenten Challenge, to pray for healing of our “self”, will be easy for some and difficult for others. For the folks who don’t have a problem asking God to heal them, this Challenge is so easy that you’ve probably already accomplished...

Lent Day 25

Saturday, March 18, 2023 “Send a Hand-written Letter or Note”   Over the years, I’ve probably received more positive comments about this Challenge than any of the others during the Lenten Season. So just like last year and many years previously, sending a handwritten letter has returned to...

Lent Day 24

Friday, March 17, 2023 “Eat Something Green!”   In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, we get a slight breather this Friday during Lent. Rather than withhold necessities such as meat, caffeine, or sugar from our diets, today we are challenged to eat something Green and Healthy! Yes, the only real...

Lent Day 23

Thursday, March 16, 2023 “Journal or Write a Prayer”   Have you ever written a prayer? Have you ever tried journalling as a part of your Faith and life journey? These two things are a bit similar but also very different. Prayer is focused communication with God, whereas journalling can be...

Lent Day 22

Wednesday, March 15, 2023 “Tell Your Story”   What’s your story? How did you get to this moment in life? If someone were to ask me this question today, I know what my answer would be (but I’m not going to reveal it)! Of course, the easy answer is “God made it happen”. The complicated answer...

Lent Day 21

Tuesday, March 14, 2023 “Thank a Civil Servant or First Responder”   Today’s Lenten Challenge, to thank a Civil Servant or First Responder, should be something that everyone understands. Our Civil Servants include everyone from our garbage collectors to our city commissioners. Our First...

Lent Day 20

Monday, March 13, 2023 “Pray for the Person You Are Reconciling With”   Happy Monday, right? Consider today’s Challenge to be both a reminder and an encouragement. Last Thursday (March 9), our Challenge was to reconcile with someone. That one wasn’t easy. For many, if not all of us, it’s...

Lent Day 19

Sunday, March 12, 2023 “Intentional Prayer for Outsiders”   Who is an outsider that needs our prayers? First, let’s define the word “outsider” before we press much further. Essentially, an outsider is anyone around us that wants or needs to be on the inside, but can’t because of a variety of...

Lent Day 18

Saturday, March 11, 2023 “Tell Someone You Love Them”   Following a sugarless 24 hours, today’s Lenten Challenge will taste like honey and be easy as pie. Oh, I shouldn’t dismiss this one as simple; for some people, communicating our feelings about others is difficult. Even if we’re not...

Lent Day 17

Friday, March 10, 2023 “No Sugar (Artificial Sweeteners) Today”   Pooh, literally. That’s how everything will taste today without sugar. The coffee must be black. Iced tea must be unsweetened, Mountain Dew has to be zero sugar (it doesn’t exist), and margaritas and daiquiris are out...

Lent Day 16

Thursday, March 9, 2023 “Reconcile with Someone”   Here’s the Challenge that most of us have been dreading. The good news is that we’re getting it done early this Season. The bad news is that most of us are expecting to procrastinate this one indefinitely. We are hoping instead the other...

Lent Day 15

Wednesday, March 8, 2023 “Pray for a Soft Heart”   What is a “Soft Heart”? Simply put, it’s a heart that is willing to receive. However, for our hearts to be willing to receive, other parts of our being must be involved in the process. A soft heart also includes ears that are willing to hear....

Lent Day 14

Tuesday, March 7, 2023 “Listen to Church Music”   Who needs to hear something inspirational today? Is everyone raising their hands? Probably not. Though many listen to church songs daily, a few of us struggle to begin the day without other types of tunes. It’s not that church music is bad…in...

Lent Day 13

Monday, March 6, 2023 “Give Someone A Smile Today!”   Ah! The second Monday of Lent and already we’re trying to force a smile! That’s what I felt like recently when a friend told me to smile. I was experiencing a challenging day and I’m guessing it was obvious. They told me to smile. “Yeah,...

Lent Day 12

Sunday, March 5, 2023 “Receive Communion or a Blessing!”   Don’t quit on this one yet! Let’s start with the obvious, “Receive Communion.” Today is the first Sunday of the month, and many Christian Churches that don’t celebrate daily or weekly Holy Communion (Lord’s Supper, Eucharist) will be...

Lent Day 11

Saturday, March 4, 2023 “Say a Prayer of Thanksgiving”   Today is a great day to give God a big, “THANK YOU!” why? Because God is good and God has done great things for us. This Challenge should be easy. It shouldn’t be difficult to recognize the beauty outside and the food on our table. It...

Lent Day 10

Friday, March 3, 2023 “No Meat Today”   Argh! It’s back again! No meat today! This challenge was laid on our doorstep long before McDonald’s introduced their Filet o’ Fish, although the sandwich’s inception was created because of horrid, “No Meat Fridays”. After receiving feedback from last...

Lent Day 9

Thursday, March 2, 2023 “Read for 15 Minutes”   Today is National Read Across America Day, established in 1998 as means to help kids become excited about reading. Has it worked? I dunno! I do know that I wish I would have read more as a child. I was rarely excited about reading. One of my...

Lent Day 8

Wednesday, March 1, 2023 “Pray for Someone Socially Disadvantaged”   That “Golden Rule” we learned in elementary school: “Treat others the way you want to be treated”. Everyone deserves a fair chance and, it turns out, this concept comes from God! But sometimes we miss that and sometimes we...

Lent Day 7

Tuesday, February 28, 2023 “Surprise Someone Today!”   Surprise someone! What a fun challenge during the Lenten Season. In my original notes for this year’s Prayer Devotion and Challenges, I had scheduled today as “Surprise a Leap-Year Baby”, mostly because our peeps born on February 29 would...

Lent Day 6

Monday, February 27, 2023 “Pray for a Longtime Friend”   On the first Monday of Lent, our challenge is to pray for someone we’ve known for a long time. How long? That’s up to you, but my guess is that your first instinct is the person that needs your prayers. Oh, just because they’ve come...

Lent Day 5

Sunday, February 26, 2023 “Commit to Something for Lent!”   Why not? What else do we have to do for the next six weeks? It’s not like any of us are so busy that we can’t add a little something to our schedules. In fact, lots of commitments don’t take any time at all. Not only should we be...

Lent Day 4

Saturday, February 25, 2023 “Spend 15 Minutes Outside”   Everyone needs some fresh air. Whether your air is cold, hot, or somewhere in between, taking a few deep breaths of the outside air just makes us feel better. Why is that? Does spending time outside expose us to some kind of magic...

Lent Day 3

Friday, February 24, 2023 “No Meat Today”   This is the first of our diet-related challenges for this Lenten Season. The traditional “No-Meat Friday” should be familiar to many people, since many of our brothers and sisters in Faith have practiced this discipline for many years. Lots of us...

Lent Day 2

Thursday, February 23, 2023 “Pray for 5 Minutes”   Straight-up and simple-dimple, today’s Lenten Challenge is to pray for 5 minutes. No rules on this one except for notfalling asleep during your prayer(s). Ask God for whatever. Thank God for everything that comes to mind. The best prayer is...

Lent Day 1

Ash Wednesday, February 22, 2023 “Get Ashed, Inked, or Sharpie’d!”   Yaaay! It’s everyone’s favorite season of the year…Lent is here! Yuck! ... Actually, it’s not so bad. As long as you don’t have any bad habits, Lent could be just like every other time during the year. As long as you’re...

Lent Devotion/Challenge Calendar

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Lenten Devotions Catalog

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March 2023

 

March 2022