As the liturgical season of Lent enters its first full week, it is a time to adjust one’s routine to be in a better place spiritually during the 40 days of the Lenten season, according to Pastor Jesse Bradley of Grace Community Church in Auburn, Washington.
Lent, which began on Ash Wednesday, is a period of preparation for Easter Sunday, the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Excluding Sundays, Lent comprises the 40 days leading up to the Sacred Paschal Triduum on Holy Thursday.
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As Lent begins, now is “an intentional time to make wise shifts, seek God and walk closely with Jesus,” Bradley told Fox News Digital.
“It’s time to draw near to Jesus with humility, authenticity and gratitude,” Bradley said. “Jesus died for our sins and rose from the grave.”
Ash Wednesday, he said, signifies the “call to return to God with our affection and devotion.”
During Lent, he said, “we repent of our sins and receive His grace. We have peace with God through the sacrifice of the Messiah. Because Jesus overcame the grave, we are set free from shame and despair. The victory of Jesus resonates deeply in our souls.”
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He noted that “a relationship with God is both personal and eternal. Seek first the kingdom of God. May we abide closely with the One who demonstrated His love on the cross” for all of us.
‘Blessing of a lifetime’
Fox News Digital also spoke this week to the team behind the Hallow prayer app. One way that many Christians choose to grow closer to God during Lent is by using technology and prayer apps like Hallow.
“It’s an honor to get to pray alongside so many people, and our prayer challenge for Lent this year is shaping up to be the biggest one of all time,” CEO Alex Jones told Fox News Digital.
The Catholic prayer and meditation app links technology and faith – and allows users to personalize their prayer experience.
The group is based in Chicago; the app launched in 2018.
This year, actor Chris Pratt has teamed up with Hallow and is sharing his faith journey.
“The theme for this year’s Pray40 challenge is The Way, focusing on John 14:6 and also the incredible book by St. Josemaría Escrívá,” said Jones.
It’s the book that “changed my own life, and I’m just really excited for folks to experience its powerful spiritual advice and direction.”
Jones added, “St. Josemaría teaches us to love the world deeply through prayer, serving others and making sacrifices. But all of this can be practiced in our ordinary, daily lives.”
Focusing on Christ as ‘the Way, the Truth, and the Life’ just really gets at the core of Hallow’s mission, which is to help folks pray and follow Him every day.”
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Jones noted that he’s “felt for awhile now” that a “real revival of faith is happening.”
“A few months ago, there was a report that Bible sales were booming. New data from the Pew Research Center shows that more people in the U.S. identified as Christian in 2024 vs. the previous year.”
He said, “It’s the blessing of a lifetime to get to help folks pray every day at Hallow and see this revival firsthand, especially folks lost or fallen away who are coming back to the faith or those discovering it for the first time. God really is up to something incredible.”
Maria Lencki of Fox News Digital, as well as Deirdre Reilly and Christine Rousselle, contributed reporting.
