LENTEN SEASON

Name: LENTEN SEASON
Start: 2026-02-18T06:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-04-05T05:00:00+00:00

February 18, 2026

- April 5, 2026

7 DAYS

7 days. One week. This is what Mark has been rushing toward. This is what Mark has been eager to write. The first 10 chapters of Mark’s Gospel cover a span of somewhere around three years. The final six chapters of Mark’s Gospel? 7 days.

Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a colt while the crowds shouted “Hosanna!” 7 days later Jesus walked out of an empty tomb. The entire world changed in 7 days. The course of human history, past, present and future is defined by these 7 days. In 7 days God created all that we can see and even what we cannot see. And in 7 days Jesus rescued…redeemed…set in motion the restoration of that same creation. Everything else that Mark wrote about was set up for this. Everything else that we could talk about is intrinsically shaped by these 7 days.

If that is the kind of thing that God can do in 7 days, what could he do in this coming week? What could he do in the world in the next 7 days? What could he do in our own lives in the next 7 days? That depends, at least in part, on how we respond to the 7 days that Mark wrote about at the end of his Gospel. You and I must decide what we believe about all of this but one thing is certain…these 7 days cannot be denied or dismissed or ignored. Nothing has been the same since these 7 days.

Be sure to get a copy of the Prayer and Fasting Guide (online version below).

Each day, there are four sections:

Daily reading plan
Personal prayer or reflection prompt
Intercession
A space to write some thoughts or reflections.

If you find yourself behind on the days, that is okay! Just pick up on the current day and begin again. We trust the Lord’s kindness and mercy as we learn to devote our hearts to Him.

There are seven weeks between Ash Wednesday and Easter, but we are only following a 40-day fast. Why is that?

The traditional 40 days of Lent do not include Sundays. On Sundays, you will find a break in the focus on repentance and fasting during the Lenten season. Sundays are a reminder of the resurrection of Jesus and God’s complete salvation. We will use these weekly breaks on Sundays to include a change in the intercession rhythm. We will focus our prayers on our friends, our city, and our world.

Feel free to take Sundays as a day to celebrate and break your fast.

If you want to talk with someone or enter a special prayer time at any point during this fast, your elders and ministry staff are available to listen and pray with you. Freedom Prayer is another available resource, and they have teams ready to receive you and guide you to Jesus through prayer. If you do not know how to contact an elder, staff member, or Freedom Prayer leader, go to harpethhills.org/prayer.